Welcome to the K-12 Education Department!
We offer professional development opportunities, curriculum, and resources for teachers and non-formal educators on energy efficiency, energy conservation, and on the science and applications of renewable energy. See testimonials about our workshops.
Curricular Units
Lesson plans and interdisciplinary units for all grade levels that address state and national academic standards using topics of renewable energy, alternative fuels, and personal energy choices.
NESEA creates grade-specific and age-appropriate curriculum, utilizing state and federal Learning Standards, such as the National Research Council National Science Education Standards; the North America Association for Environmental Education Guidelines for Excellence, and Federal programs such as No Child Left Behind and No Child Left Inside.
Professional Development
NESEA's K-12 Education Department facilitates hands-on science and engineering workshops on such subjects as renewable energy and energy efficiency, green schools, and transportation, including Junior Solar Sprint. Workshops are available to teachers, non-formal educators, and community mentors. Also, please view the K-12 Educators Events Calendar page for professional development opportunities with NESEA and other quality providers.
Programs/Projects/Initiatives
Teachers, schools, education centers, and community groups are welcome to participate in programs such as Junior Solar Sprint, Energy Thinking, and Clean Energy for a Clean Environment. We offer hands-on, placed-based inquiry projects in renewable energy forms, functions, and applications. We also design curriculum specifically tailored fit your needs, whether at the school, district, or state level.
Get involved in our current programs:
Check out our initiatives:
Consider the added value of becoming a NESEA member:
"I run an energy educators network, EnergyTeachers.org, a nonprofit two other teachers and I started in 2004 in Boston. NESEA has helped me and our organization develop over the years in many ways. Junior Solar Sprint, as NESEA runs it, has inspired me and thousands of teachers who read about it in our newsletter. We've started our own activities that teach engineering, science, and technology, alongside society, history, and civics, such as our newest "Green Dollhouse Challenge," our solar cooking classes and workshops, and our newest project, "Energy Haiku. Also, being an active NESEA member has helped me become an energy expert, frequently consulted on all sorts of topics surrounding energy and sustainability. I improve my expertise by reading the Northeast Sun, attending local and regional NESEA conferences, talking to professionals who volunteer at Junior Solar Sprint and other events, and now reading posts on NESEA's facebook page. Finally, NESEA has helped me make connections with building professionals who care about education. As a teacher, I sometimes feel like we don't get enough support, so finding out that there are non-teachers who care about education is very uplifting for me." - Shawn Reeves, Energy Educator, Ithaca, NY