Southeast Elementary and the Green Thumbs Club helped the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge celebrate Earth Month in April by hosting joint-assemblies with Vinton Elementary and Goodwin Elementary Schools. Neighbor to Neighbor representatives discussed the importance of saving energy. In addition, all students in attendance pledged to do at least one thing to reduce energy in their homes.
All 400 students in attendance received the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge’s “Please Don’t Feed the Vampire” kit, which helps students and their families identify vampire energy loads at home. As students and their families prepare to end the school year and head into summer — a notably higher period of energy use — the pledges will engage students in their energy use at home and think, learn and act beyond the classroom.
The kit includes a vampire-themed scavenger hunt that sends students searching through their homes in pursuit of “vampire draw” or “phantom loads” — appliances and devices that may appear to be powered down, but continue to suck energy while in standby mode or while plugged into outlets.
“Elementary students are the perfect age to begin thinking about ways to reduce energy waste,” said Fred Baruzzi, Superintendent for Mansfield Public Schools. “We were happy to have the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge come to our schools and educate our students.”
Kerry O’Neill, Program Manager for the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge, added, “Each year, it takes the combined output of 17 power plants to power devices that U.S. homeowners think they’ve turned off, from microwaves and coffeemakers to flat-screen TVs and cell phone chargers. Our vampire campaign will empower students and their families to reduce energy costs in a fun, interactive way.”
About the Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge: The Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge is a community energy savings program made possible by a $4.17 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, funded as part of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program, whose mission is to create a self-sustaining building energy upgrade market. The Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge is one of 41 state and local government programs providing high quality energy improvements to homes and businesses across the nation.
Over three years, Neighbor to Neighbor will engage residents in 14 towns, helping them reduce their energy use by 20 percent.
The program is administered by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and draws resources and experience from several partner organizations, including Earth Markets, Clean Water Fund, the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, EMpower Devices, MIT, SmartPower, Snugg Home, Mobile Genius and the Student Conservation Association. For more information, visit http://www.CTEnergyChallenge.com.
