Each year, electric cooperatives send local teachers to a two-day “Energy in Today’s Classroom” course, which is hosted by Central Electric Power Cooperative in cooperation with the University of Missouri. This year, the course was held on August 2 and 3 at the University of Missouri Agricultural Engineering building in Columbia, Missouri.

In coordination with its member-distribution cooperatives (MDCs), Northeast Power sponsored six teachers for the program this year.

The course included speakers from the University of Missouri, Central Electric Power Cooperative, Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. and Ameren. Topics covered during the lectures included: energy basics, energy sources, economics and energy production, energy efficiency and conservation and power generation and transmission. In addition, the teachers were able to tour the power generation station at the University of Missouri’s power plant.

The overall objective of the course was to provide educators with an understanding of the electrical industry, offering them the opportunity to provide their students with factual information in the classroom setting. During the course, the teachers were provided with hands-on demonstrations of electrical teaching aides that can later be used in their classrooms, as well as materials to utilize in their lessons. The course also allowed for all teachers to receive one master’s level credit hour from the University of Missouri.