Energy Efficiency & Conservation

Green Schools Challenge Activities:

• Community Building (Pre-K through 1st grade) - Energy Everywhere - Let's Go On an Expedition!

• Hands On Learning (2nd through 3rd grade) - School Energy Audit

• Lab Activity (4th through 5th grade) - There She Blows - Wind Energy

• Create Your Own (Pre-K through 5th grade) - Submit Lesson Plan here  

Schools can choose to do more than one activity but maximum amount of points a school can earn for this topic is the same. Points for participation will be based on a rubric. Download here.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Activity Submission Form Click Here

What's the problem?

As global populations grow and countries advance, our demand for energy rises. This increasing demand is mostly met by converting non-renewable resources like petroleum, natural gas, and coal into energy. However, burning these fossil fuels releases harmful gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone—into the atmosphere, worsening climate change. 

Why should we care?

Earth will suffer greatly if we don’t shift from non-renewable to renewable energy sources. Currently, we depend on five main energy sources: petroleum (35%), natural gas (34%), renewable energy (12%), coal (10%), and nuclear electric power (9%). Four of these sources release greenhouse gases. Moreover, their extraction and processing can pollute drinking water, cause sinkholes, and release dangerous gases, threatening environmental and public health. These threats disproportionately affect low-income and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. 

What can we do?

We aim to reduce dependence on fossil fuels to limit their environmental impact while meeting energy needs. Sustainable innovation and development are crucial as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) 9 and 7. Currently, 79% of all US energy is produced by burning fossil fuels, indicating much work remains to achieve sustainable energy.