Workshop Helps Instructors Teach About Energy and Agriculture

AMES, Iowa — Teachers from around the country learned about renewable energy relating to agriculture last week at a workshop at Iowa State University. "The production and use of energy is one of the most rapidly changing technology areas in the 21st century, and it can be difficult to stay abreast on the latest research," said Thomas Paulsen, workshop coordinator and assistant professor of agricultural education and studies. "While this is one of the greatest challenges faced today, new opportunities also are being created." Twenty high school and community college agriculture and science teachers took part in the second Agriculture-based Renewable Energy professional development workshop, co-sponsored by Iowa State, Eastern Iowa Community College District and the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center through a U.S. Department of Agriculture New Era Rural Technology Grant. Workshop participants took part in a number of hands-on activities, such as making biodiesel and building mini-wind turbines and biogas digesters. They also visited a local wind energy generating station and toured biofuels research facilities. "At the end of the day, teaching is about learning, and all the teachers who attended the conference contributed creative ideas regarding how to teach agriculture-based renewable energy in their classrooms," Paulsen said. More information about agriculture-based renewable energy and the workshop can be found at http://agenergyia.org and http://ateec.org/ag-energy/workshop.