While we know there are many things people can do right now to save water in their homes, many of us in the water conservation community recognize that bringing society’s water use to sustainable levels will take decades. That’s why I’m so excited that Kohler was asked to be involved in the Igniting Creative Energy (ICE) student challenge this year. The program, developed by Johnson Controls, Inc. and the National Energy Foundation, encourages K-12 students to learn about energy efficiency in creative ways. For 2011, a water conservation contest was added with Kohler’s help.
Entries are being accepted now until March 4, 2011, and the winners will be notified in late March. National winners will get to accept their awards at the Energy Efficiency Forum in Washington, DC in June. I look forward to being there and meeting students who care about water conservation!
So if you have school-aged children, or know some teachers in your local district, let them know about ICE, and help support energy and water conservation education in your city or town.
Last year’s winners.
6 Comments
Rob, we are a pilot school in Port Charlotte (SW Florida) for an experimental infusion of Water Quality as an integrating theme into our curriculum. We’d certainly be interested in melding our efforts to yours. Entering your contest will be fun for our students, insofar as it can help us sustain their awareness of their roles and responsibilities as stewards in the earth’s fragile web of life. Let’s stay in touch, and if you’re ever here, south of Sarasota, we’d love to give you a tour! Thanks for your efforts in this vital field.
Michael O’Loughlin, Principal
Michael:
Water conservation is very important in your part of Florida, so it will be interesting to see how your students are thinking about it. Wish them “good luck” from me!
Rob
Hello Rob:
Welcome Kohler to the Igniting Creative Energy (ICE) competition!
I was honored to be selected as the 2009 National Teacher ICE Awardee and found that the program is an outstanding venue for promoting and engaging students in energy conservation. Now students will have the opportunity to share their creative and critical thinking skills as they seek everyday solutions in an effort to conserve water. Very cool!
I’d like to offer some teacher tips to classroom teachers who are considering entering their students in the ICE competition this year:
Brainstorm age-appropriate projects! Perhaps your students can devise and conduct home water audits; author water conservation picture books; research what other countries are doing to conserve water and discover and promote the best ideas! Whatever the child’s interest, make sure his/her solution illustrates “out-of-the-box” thinking!
I plan to post more teaching ideas as the competition continues! There’s still plenty of time to get your little scientists involved so have them jump right in and make a splash!
Teachers, feel free to contact me via email with questions or comments!
Thanks and best wishes,
Marilyn Hamot Ryan
naples4me@aol.com
Marilyn:
Thanks for sharing your experiences with ICE! I look forward to seeing your teaching ideas in future posts.
Rob
Hello Young Water Conservationists!
Don’t be a “Big Drip!”
How can you apply the big 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to water conservation? If you are planning to enter the ICE competition this year, brainstorm new ways to reuse water or ways to reduce your water consumption! Then think of a cool way to sell your idea to the public (and the ICE judges).
Will you create a new cartoon character? Make a commercial video for television? Invent a new tool?
Be creative…your ideas can be as deep as the ocean!
Good luck!
Marilyn Hamot Ryan
Hello Mother Earth Greenies:
I know you are like me…we want to keep Mother Earth green!
Well let’s think about Mother Earth’s water too!
Blue, blue, I love you!
Point to ponder: What is the value of water?
Think about this question and see how you can apply this question to your ICE project.
Good luck,
m.ryan