Supporting Our Local Schools for Over 80 Years
Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative wants to give our local students the resources and experiences that will allow them to thrive. In the modern world, it's essential for students to have a solid grasp on both the importance and utility of, as well as the science behind, electricity. This is both to provide a strong base of knowledge that could come in handy across their lives, as well as keep them safe when dealing with potential electric hazards.
We here at Sussex Rural Electric are committed to helping local classrooms provide this kind of insight. Currently, we sponsor field trips for classes or scour troops who would like to visit our office and learn about electricity. We also offer a classroom grant program to give local teachers the ability to bring new, creative lessons to their classrooms that their usual budgets may not cover. For more information, read below!
Sussex Rural Electric Field Trips
In the modern world, electrical safety is important for everyone to understand from a young age. To help educate the children of our community, from the months of March to June Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative hosts class trips to tour our office and learn the importance of electrical safety. These trips can be schedules by interested elementary school teachers or scout leaders who call our office or send us an email asking to set up a trip.
Through a detailed and engaging PowerPoint presentation and workbooks, our safety program teaches students what electric power is, where it comes from, and the dangers that surround it through. We have found that students of all ages have a lot of curiosity about electricity, so a question-and-answer section is included for the benefit of the students.
The class will also utilize handouts, activity sheets, and our “Hazard Hamlet” Module. Hazard Hamlet is an interactive, educational diorama display which makes use of lights and sounds to portray to students the potential dangers of electricity in everyday situations. The demonstration is an eye-opening experience complete with sparks, sounds, and small power arcs. Hazard Hamlet is the perfect way to keep the attention of young children and visualize guidelines for electrical safety in a relatable way.
If weather permits, the students will leave the presentation portion of the trip and go outside to see a bucket truck up close and have a lineman explain the importance of safety and what it is like to be a lineman.
- Each student will receive a “hard hat,” handouts, and a certificate acknowledging their safety training
- Trips start in March and are held Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:00 pm –3:00 pm
- Trips take approximately 1.5 hours at the cooperative
- Trips are limited to 30 students and/or scouts
For more information on options for field trips and other opportunities for student learning, see our brochure
.gif)
Bright Ideas Classroom Grant
At Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative we recognize that the children of today are the members of tomorrow. The Bright Ideas Classroom Grant Program was designed to reach our future members by helping their teachers better afford innovative and effective educational curriculum that is not covered by traditional school financing. Individual teachers can apply for grants up to $500. Each year, SREC will award a total of $1,000.00 through this grant program. The education-related programs must benefit SREC members or student populations within SREC's service area.
Eligible educators in public and private schools, pre-K through 12th grade, must be able to prove membership benefit. It is not required for teachers or schools to receive electric service from SREC. Grants can be awarded for projects in any discipline, but must be energy or cooperative related. Projects can range from the study of electricity in science class, the cooperative business model in business class, or the history of American rural electrification in history class. The grant is not limited to these topics. Teachers are encouraged to get creative!
Grant Applications are accepted every year from the first week of March until the end of April. Grants will be awarded at our 2020 Annual Meeting at the beginning of June (date pending).
