Puget Sound Renewable Educator Leadership Institute


Thank you to our Summer 2017 Participants!

We have successfully hosted our first week-long Leadership Institute and will host more in the future, so STAY TUNED!

Puget Sound Renewable Leadership Institute 2017 Cohort

leadership institute

Attention Pierce, Snohomish and King County Washington Teachers!

We are looking for elementary, middle, and high school educational leaders in Pierce, Snohomish and King counties with a passion for CTE/STEM who are interested in bringing in or increasing renewable energy education to their school and district. The selected teacher leaders will participate in a 5‑day leadership institute in order to:

  • Build capacity and leadership in renewable energy and electricity from a systems perspective
  • Create new curricula in collaboration with fellow teacher leaders and energy experts
  • Design a science kit to take back for their district, valued at $3,500
  • Develop leadership plans to facilitate access to new content and activities in their districts
  • Meet energy experts from secondary education and industry as it relates to education

The Leadership Institute is provided by BEF Solar 4R Schools and is sponsored by Boeing Foundation, with additional support from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and BEF.

About the Renewable Educator Leadership Institute

The Puget Sound Renewable Leadership Institute, sponsored by Boeing and BEF, is a 5‑day teacher training program focused on renewable energy and electrical systems. This intensive training program frames renewable energy as one element in the increasingly complex system that will be tomorrow's power grid. Teachers will practice Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) skills through a blend of hands‑on activity participation and activity design. By incorporating systems‑based content, participating teacher‑leaders will develop a frame of reference for how renewable energy and other traditional energy sources interact on the grid. Topics and activities are aligned throughout the week with elements of the power grid to synthesize knowledge in new ways and build understanding. The Leadership Institute will provide opportunities to connect teacher leaders in education to STEM and energy experts from the industry and academia through a variety of interactive experiences. The week of activities and instruction will model methods to bring renewable energy topics into the classroom using NGSS and will support teachers on their path to becoming Washington State Science Standards leaders as well.

The Leadership Institute has been designed with input from Washington Alliance for Better Schools (WABS), Washington State LASER, and Puget Sound ESD to additionally foster collaboration and peer evaluation to strengthen the pedagogical development of energy, engineering within the Washington State Science Standards framework. University of Washington ‑ Bothell is hosting the Leadership Institute on their campus from 7/24/17 to 7/28/2017. UW‑Bothell, the UW Clean Energy Institute, and Snohomish County PUD are providing some of the energy experts, career and secondary education linkages, and field trip experience for teacher leaders.

Location and Date

July 24 - 28 2017

University of Washington - Bothell

~ 8:30 am – 3:30 pm Daily

Institute Highlights

  • Daily Hands‑on Inquiry and Engineering Activities
    • Explore cutting‑edge technology with energy experts from UW Clean Energy Institute
    • Experience engineering challenges and discuss implementation for all students
  • Hydropower Field Trip ‑ provided by Snohomish County PUD
  • Higher Education Panel: Student, Faculty, and Alumni ‑ UW Bothell School of STEM
  • Peer Collaboration during daily curriculum development opportunities through peer collaboration
  • Build a model electrical power grid

Career‑Connected Learning

Renewable energy provides an opportunity to engage students in the emerging new energy economy as it unfolds right before our eyes. Adding new sources of energy to the mix is changing the nature of the power grid from a relatively simple model of one‑way supply and demand to a more interactive system featuring distributed energy generation and storage, where energy consumers can also be producers. These rapid, nationwide changes to a critical infrastructure require teams of innovative workers ready to transcend traditional disciplines. In addition, nearly half of utility employees are eligible for retirement by 2020. Students with multidisciplinary skills who understand the complexity of systems and have a robust set of skills will be increasingly needed to replace the careers of yesterday. By linking problem and project‑based learning to local phenomena directly relating to the subject matter, and fostering industry connections to students, we engage the community in education as much as we engage students in the possibilities of their future. Through this institute, teacher leaders will begin to develop connections to utilities, higher learning, and other industry connections that help round out the “real world” applications of the content, as well as a pathway to success in a future career.

Eligibility

This opportunity is available to K‑12 educators in Pierce, Snohomish, or King counties. Applicants must have support from their administration to share this new content in their district (formally or informally) and be ready and able to use this experience to bring new renewable energy content and associated science kits to their local professional learning communities.  Teachers may apply individually or as teacher pairs from the same District.

          >>Not a Puget Sound, WA teacher? Check out our PNW Renewable Energy Leadership Lab opportunity The table below summarizes this opportunity. 

2016BoeingRFPtable

A foundational set of science and engineering materials (one per teacher‑team/district)

Timeline

March 3, 2017Application Packet Posted Online
May 4, 2017Applications Due (11:59 pm)
May 12, 2017Selected Participants Notified
July 24-28, 2017Leadership Institute Dates (8:30 am - 3:30 pm daily)
2017-2018Continued Engagement and Support For Implementation
Spring 2018Participants Expected to Participate in Follow-up Survey

Expectations  

Arrange and provide own lodging and transportation to and from the Institute (mileage reimbursement available).