Education - Ballston Spa students hold Energy Career Day

On Monday, Nov. 10, seventh graders took part in the Energy Career Day put on by the Building Leadership Team and sponsored by Building Performance Institute (BPI), a recognized global leader that supports development of the building performance industry through individual and organizational credentialing and quality assurance programs. They work to make sure buildings are energy efficient and offer support services that promote infrastructural development.

Students also learned about solar energy from Renewable Power Systems and wind energy from Horizon Wind.

The Building Leadership Team is a group of teachers, support staff and parents that meet once a month to build goals and initiatives for students with a an aim to increase the flow of information from within the community into the school about jobs and work that local residents do.

“Around seventh grade students begin to think about what direction they might want to go in for their careers and as teachers, we want to show them that there are so many options out there,”

Diane Irwin, K-12 Science and Technology Coordinator for the district said.

Students were able to speak with representatives from the three companies as well as take part in hands-on demonstrations including air movement, solar energy, air leaks and using infrared sensors to determine heat variations in a home. Hands-on interaction is an effective way for students to learn because it gets them personally involved with the lesson instead of listening to someone talk about the subject, Irwin said.

“The students got to use the equipment themselves and actually see what it would be like to work in the various fields for a career,” she added. “We try to make things as hands on as possible.”

Ballston Spa Middle School Principal Helen Stuetzel said she believes this was an important event for the students to participate in because alternative energy is an up-and-coming career field and will have an impact on everyone’s lives.

“We want to focus on being greener people in an increasingly greener society,” she said. “It’s important for kids to learn and know about new technologies because they are the future and they will be helping to develop these technologies if they choose to go into these fields. They very well could be using wind energy in the future.”

She added that it is important to stimulate student’s thinking about career paths at an early age so they have an idea of what they want to do when they graduate from high school.

“We try to build their awareness of what careers are out there in our own community,” Stuetzel said. “People do incredible work right here in our backyard. If we can stimulate the students’ interest in what is out there, then we can get them thinking about what it is they like to do and how they can incorporate that into a career.”