MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – As the new school year begins, educators from 14 school districts and 29 different schools across the state are ready to share energy lessons gained as part of Santee Cooper’s Energy Educators Institute program. The Institute is a graduate-level course that includes hands-on experience in critical fields of the energy industry.
The institute consists of two, three-week sessions in July, with a curriculum that focuses on deepening educators’ understanding of the utility industry so they can inspire their students’ interest in STEM subjects.
Participants engage in online interactions and assignments during the first and third weeks. The second week is spent onsite at Santee Cooper’s Wampee Conference Center, where educators participate in experiments, electric and water facility tours, lessons in lesson planning, and in-depth conversations with several Santee Cooper team members.
“The Energy Educators Institute provides educators from across the state the chance to learn about electricity and water purification,” said Brandy Incorvia, Santee Cooper’s Administrator of Educational Programs. “The educators spend the week onsite expanding their knowledge to bring this educational information back to their schools and students.”
“I really appreciated the opportunity to have a hands-on experience in a class that taught me more about what Santee Cooper does for the state of South Carolina,” said Keith Newman, a fourth-grade teacher at Harold C. Johnson Elementary School in York County. “The most surprising thing about this experience was to learn how Santee Cooper improved the quality of life in South Carolina through powering and hydrating communities and providing recreational opportunities for communities.”
Applications for the 2024 Energy Educators Institute will be open early next year, but interested educators can join the direct mail list now. For more information, visit our website .