If you’re an educator who is deeply concerned about how to challenge your students to make a difference in the world, to motivate them to practice the greening of their community, their nation and their world, and to initiate thoughts of green careers in their future, you MUST consider introducing your students to the Igniting Creative Energy challenge this year!
Entering the ICE challenge two years ago was the springboard for me to realize that I needed not only to educate my studentsabout energy efficiency and good stewardship, but perhaps also to change their mindset about what they will be doing in twenty years! I wondered how could I help kids from a blue-collar town realize the possibilities of a green-collar career?
We started year one with an Environmental Expo! Each student showcased his/her ICE entry at our museum style expo. Hundreds of student and adult visitors roamed the event learning many unique ways to make wise energy choices. In year two, my middle school students created lessons about recycling and helped me teach our primary grade children fun ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. During our third year now, we are having a ball learning about green careers listening to guest speakers, writing and presenting fun skits about future jobs, designing and illustrating posters and Want Ads, etc. We talk about jobs that don’t even exist yet and image the endless possibilities! We educators know that today’s kids need to think outside the box. They need to be creative problem solvers. It’s our job to bring them to the brink of discovery and then let them FLY! Why not slide your students into the ICE challenge and empower them to make a difference!
