Tuesday, July 15th - Thursday, July 17th
STEM Educators Energy Institute
at Central Carolina Community College
Sponsored by the CREATE Energy Center
"This workshop is professional and brilliant. It is perfectly suited to the classroom teacher."
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"It was great! So much fun and educational. Everything learned is usable in my classes."
Workshop Location
Days/Times
Tuesday, July 15th, 10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Wednesday, July 16th, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Thursday, July 17th, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
The goal of the STEM Educator Institutes is to provide STEM Educators with renewable energy lessons, classroom equipment, and a unique hands-on learning experience to take back to their students. The events are funded by the CREATE Energy NSF ATE National Center. Any STEM educator of middle school through college is invited to apply!
"It was a genius workshop... The instructors were so knowledgeable, friendly, and quite good at bringing concepts to whatever level needed to satisfy questions and comments from participants. Wonderfully put together workshop. It was practical, useful, and user friendly. I learned a great deal of information AND HOW TO APPLY IT TO MY CLASSROOM."
The Central Carolina Energy Institute Includes:
- Hotel accommodations for two nights (Tuesday and Wednesday)
- Lunch provided each day
- $575 stipend paid to each participant upon completion of the institute (for travel and meal expenses)
- Equipment awards valued at up to $1200 available to each participant funded by the CREATE Energy NSF ATE National Center
Meet The Team
Andrew McMahan
Andrew has spent the past 20 years engaged in environmental and energy related workforce development at Central Carolina Community College in North Carolina and serves as a Co-Principal Investigator with CREATE, as well as the Principal Investigator and Director of the EARTh Center.
Tiffany Breindel
Tiffany joined CREATE in early 2024 and enjoys blending her talent for event coordination with renewable energy education through the CREATE opportunities held at Central Carolina Community College. She also serves as the Project Manager for the EARTh Center.
Joel Shoemaker
Joel Shoemaker is a Wisconsin state-certified Master Electrician with over 12 years of experience with photovoltaic systems.
Scott Liddicoat
Scott Liddicoat just retired from teaching for the last 30 years at Green Bay Southwest High School. In the last decade he taught a high school class for college credit on energy conservation and renewable energy. During this time he has also been employed as a classroom lesson writer, curriculum manager, and teacher trainer by the National Science Foundation (Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education, 5 years).
Agenda
Day 1
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
9:30 - 10:00
Coffee and Snacks
10:00 - 10:20
Welcome to CREATE and CCCC
10:20 - 10:45
Introductions Faculty and Participants: What are you hoping to gain from the Institute?
10:45 - 11:00
Participant Lesson Plan Setting expectations for the deliverables at the end of the Institute
11:00 - 12:00
Lesson / Lab Activity Intro to PV System / Balance of System / Intro to Pyranometer
1:15 - 2:45
Lesson / Lab Activity Intro to Module Amps & Volts (and Safety!)
2:45 - 3:45
Lesson / Lab Activity Solar Pathfinder
3:45 - 4:00
Break
4:00 - 5:00
Lesson / Lab Activity PVWatts®
5:00 - 5:30
End of Day Review / Wednesday Overview
Day 2
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
8:00 - 8:30
Coffee and Snacks
8:30 - 8:45
Orientation to day’s activities
8:45 - 10:45
Lesson / Lab Activity Batteries in Series and Parallel
10:45 - 11:00
Break
11:00 - 12:30
Lesson / Lab Activity Generating an IV Curve
12:30 - 1:30
Lunch Presentation Jobs in Energy / Educational Simulations from the EARTh Center
1:30 - 4:30
Lesson / Lab Activity PV System Construction utilizing the Mobile Solar Training Lab from Illumination Solar
4:30 - 5:15
Individual / Group work on Lesson Plan Deliverables
5:15 - 5:30
End of Day Review / Thursday Overview
Day 3
Thursday, July 17, 2025
8:00 - 8:30
Coffee and Breakfast
8:30 - 8:45
Orientation to day’s activities
8:45 - 12:00
Lesson / Lab Activity KidWind classroom resources and hands-on lab
12:00 - 12:45
Lunch Presentation
12:45 - 1:30
Individual / Group work on Lesson Plan Deliverables (Turn in Equipment Award Sheets)
1:30 - 2:30
Sharing our Ideas, Lesson Plans, and Takeaways
2:30 - 3:00
Final Evaluation / Dispersal of Equipment Awards / Closing
Hotel Information
If you are travelling to the institute, hotel accommodations for two nights (Tuesday and Wednesday) are provided. Once you are accepted into the institute, we will book your hotel room for you.
Equipment Award Choices
Equipment awards valued at up to $1200 available to each participant funded by the CREATE Energy NSF ATE National Center
25 Watt, 12 Volt solar panel
Pyranometer (Irradiance Meter)
Digital Multimeter
Digital Clamp Meter
10,000 Lumen, 100 Watt LED light
1.2 Watt, 6 Volt solar module
Resistance Decade Box
Solar Pathfinder