An in-depth look at North Dakota's energy resources has recently been added to the North Dakota Studies curriculum for students in fourth and eighth grade.
The "Energy: Powered by North Dakota" curriculum was developed through a partnership between the North Dakota EmPower Commission and Bismarck State College's Great Plains Energy Corridor. The curriculum is Web-based and covers various sectors of North Dakota's energy economy, including coal, petroleum, biofuels and other renewable energy sources.
"The energy industry is already an interesting topic, but using an online platform gives us the chance to incorporate videos, photos, maps and graphics that make the material interactive and really interesting for students," said Emily McKay, energy curriculum project manager. "Students will be able to watch a time-lapse video of drilling an oil well, zoom in on a US map of solar energy potential, and click through an animation of how water through a hydro dam produces electricity."
The Energy Curriculum Project idea sprouted more than two years ago in the Workforce Subcommittee of the EmPower North Dakota Commission. The commissioners, appointed by North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple, represent all the state's energy industries and were aware of the need to get young students interested in energy.
"North Dakota is changing the landscape of energy production in the United States," said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. "We are a state rich in natural resources and innovation, and it's surprising how few students have an understanding of how important the energy economy is to our state. This curriculum highlights how each sector impacts North Dakota – from all energy sources including ethanol, wind, oil, and coal and the potential to produce value added energy products from our energy resources that can benefit our citizens across the state."
John Weeda, director of North Dakota Generation for Great River Energy, backed the energy curriculum project with a particular goal in mind – workforce.
"Our homegrown, North Dakota employees are the best of the bunch. If we can get our young people interested in energy at an earlier age, they'll be aware of career potential in an almost endless variety of energy jobs," Weeda said. "It helps our local youth prepare to land jobs in stable, high-wage industries and grow as our future leaders."
Weeda and Ness were the driving force on the Workforce Subcommittee that rallied support and brought all energy sectors to the table to fund the energy curriculum. The result was online modules, which include interactive content, course activities, career information, and teacher resources. The curriculum was just launched the week of Nov. 3, 2014 at NDStudies.gov.
Curriculum funding came through the North Dakota Industrial Commission's Lignite Research and Oil and Gas Research Council programs and donations from energy industry stakeholders. Grants were made via matching dollars from 12 energy companies totaling $250,000. More than 30 organizations contributed over $150,000 of in-kind resources.
Contact: Emily McKay, Great Plains Energy Corridor
701-224-2410 ● emily.mckay@bismarckstate.edu
The "Energy: Powered by North Dakota" curriculum was developed through a partnership between the North Dakota EmPower Commission and Bismarck State College's Great Plains Energy Corridor. The curriculum is Web-based and covers various sectors of North Dakota's energy economy, including coal, petroleum, biofuels and other renewable energy sources.
"The energy industry is already an interesting topic, but using an online platform gives us the chance to incorporate videos, photos, maps and graphics that make the material interactive and really interesting for students," said Emily McKay, energy curriculum project manager. "Students will be able to watch a time-lapse video of drilling an oil well, zoom in on a US map of solar energy potential, and click through an animation of how water through a hydro dam produces electricity."
The Energy Curriculum Project idea sprouted more than two years ago in the Workforce Subcommittee of the EmPower North Dakota Commission. The commissioners, appointed by North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple, represent all the state's energy industries and were aware of the need to get young students interested in energy.
"North Dakota is changing the landscape of energy production in the United States," said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. "We are a state rich in natural resources and innovation, and it's surprising how few students have an understanding of how important the energy economy is to our state. This curriculum highlights how each sector impacts North Dakota – from all energy sources including ethanol, wind, oil, and coal and the potential to produce value added energy products from our energy resources that can benefit our citizens across the state."
John Weeda, director of North Dakota Generation for Great River Energy, backed the energy curriculum project with a particular goal in mind – workforce.
"Our homegrown, North Dakota employees are the best of the bunch. If we can get our young people interested in energy at an earlier age, they'll be aware of career potential in an almost endless variety of energy jobs," Weeda said. "It helps our local youth prepare to land jobs in stable, high-wage industries and grow as our future leaders."
Weeda and Ness were the driving force on the Workforce Subcommittee that rallied support and brought all energy sectors to the table to fund the energy curriculum. The result was online modules, which include interactive content, course activities, career information, and teacher resources. The curriculum was just launched the week of Nov. 3, 2014 at NDStudies.gov.
Curriculum funding came through the North Dakota Industrial Commission's Lignite Research and Oil and Gas Research Council programs and donations from energy industry stakeholders. Grants were made via matching dollars from 12 energy companies totaling $250,000. More than 30 organizations contributed over $150,000 of in-kind resources.
Contact: Emily McKay, Great Plains Energy Corridor
701-224-2410 ● emily.mckay@bismarckstate.edu