The coronavirus pandemic has made things especially challenging for parents. In addition to running a household during a chaotic time, there’s the added responsibility of continuing their child’s education while schools are closed.
Long before COVID-19 emerged, Clark Public Utilities partnered with area schools, every academic year welcoming nearly 4,000 fourth-graders on tours of its operations center, hosting several educational events and speaking with students of all ages. Unfortunately, the popular field trips are just one of many in-person programs on hold as we all work to stop the spread of the virus.
But the utility hasn’t stopped supporting student education. Instead, like so many other areas of life, these efforts have shifted to a new platform. Now, Clark County students of all ages and their parents are invited to access a suite of educational materials online for free at the Clark Public Utilities Power Zone, which is found at: clarkpublicutilities.com/PowerZone.
Another educational resource is the utility’s new livestream osprey- cam. Observational learners and bird-watchers alike can enjoy the hottest local educational reality show in production. A mating osprey pair is currently tending three eggs in an aerie high above the streets of Camas. Tune into YouTube at bit.ly/2YeNMsZ, and watch their family grow.
Resources like the osprey-cam can help teach young learners about bird biology. The first egg appeared on about April 10. Knowing that, when might it hatch? Follow the link in the video description to submit your prediction. Do some research about osprey egg hatching to make an educated guess! The closest entries will win a prize from Clark Public Utilities.
“It’s hard not to be seeing students face to face at our Operations Center, but this time of staying home to stay healthy has given us a chance to introduce new educational resources,” said Clark Public Utilities Education Engagement Specialist Amber Hall. “We plan to keep adding to the webpage as we go and are building our library of activities with a broad audience in mind.”
The Power Zone is filled with resources related to electrical safety, science of electricity, renewable energy, water quality, our local environment and more. Parents can access age-appropriate tools from credible sources, to help further their child’s education.
The page offers tools to help younger students hone their electricity and water vocabulary with downloadable coloring pages, word searches and match games. Older kids can test their brain power with crosswords and learn about careers in the utility industry during this time when electricity and water are essential services as we hunker down at home.
“From the outset we wanted to build an educational hub that was inviting for kids and parents–not just a collection of links to other websites,” Hall said. “We encourage folks to visit the site often because we plan on adding much more content down the road.”
Within the current distancing guidelines, a utility scavenger hunt will get the whole family out to connect new knowledge with the world around them. Young readers and hands-on learners will find helpful guidance on age-appropriate books and projects to safely explore the science of electricity.
“Although our communities are filled with critical utility infrastructure, these important facilities can be invisible to the untrained eye,” Hall said. “It’s our hope that after a little time in the Power Zone, kids will recognize the structures and equipment that powers our communities.”
“Even before the pandemic our education program was in high demand,” she said. “By moving our popular lessons online we’re able to lower barriers even further so more families can access information on electrical safety in fun and age-appropriate ways, anytime.”
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
