America's Home Energy Education Challenge is designed to teach students and families about energy, its use, and the link between saving energy and money. The two parts of the program allow all students to gain knowledge of energy and awareness of energy use and then learn about energy saving methods:
- Educate students across the United States in grades 3-8 about energy and the benefits of energy efficiency
- Teach students to recognize that lowering their home energy use saves money
- Engage students and their families in a save energy, save money initiative.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered by the National Science Teachers Association, America's Home Energy Education Challenge aims to enhance and extend existing energy-focused programs, provide specific home energy-saving tips, and make materials that support the learning of science and energy available to schools. Participating schools compete for more than $200,000 in prizes distributed at the regional and national levels of the competition.
Home Energy Award, the first segment of the Challenge, inspires friendly competition among classes and schools. These competitions (the group of schools or classes within a school that make up the local competition) in 11 regions of the U.S. compete for $102,000 in cash prizes the winning projects will be based on student participation rates, energy savings, and the overall creativity and quality of the participating local competition.
Students who are unable to monitor their individual home energy may participate in an optional activity of the Challenge that involves developing a home energy savings plan and a poster depicting that plan. The Energy Conservation Plan and Poster Contest is designed to help participants who are unable to collect data and increase awareness of actions that could result in energy savings. The winners of this optional program will be judged on their poster and their plan and compete for $48,000 in cash prizes.
Energy Fitness Award, the second segment of the Challenge, focuses directly on individual and classroom knowledge about energy. This online component is a separate educational gaming activity; students can participate at any time and can return to play multiple times. Each student who successfully completes the Energy Fitness Award quiz will receive an Energy Fitness Badge. Schools and/or classrooms with exemplary participation in this activity will earn additional prizes.
