Seventh-grade girls from Heskett Middle School and two additional Northeast Ohio middle schools participated in the NOPEC Energy Bike Project: Activating and Energizing Girls in Science (AEGIS) this past week. The students spent two days building a working energy bike that was then donated to the school to use in energy science curricula and also to share with organizations in the community.
“Increasing awareness of energy conservation and the advantages of energy-efficiency is an important part of NOPEC’s mission,” said NOPEC’s executive director Chuck Keiper. “The Energy Bike Project provides NOPEC the opportunity to share this message while educating and empowering the energy decision makers of the future.”
During the event, the students first learned the mechanics of the energy bike through educational materials provided by NOPEC. The girls then applied their knowledge by assembling and wiring the bikes, so that the energy produced by pedaling the bike could power various types of lightbulbs, radios, fans and hair dryers. They also participated in a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) related games and activities. NOPEC provided the funding and support necessary to bring this program to Northeast Ohio, as well as provided all materials necessary to learn about and build the bikes.
“One goal is that we really want girls to understand they are capable of doing many things they might not have thought they were able to do. We also want to open their eyes to what a science career might look like for them. We hope that giving them this brief introduction to some new skills helps spur them to think about careers in science down the road,” said Debby Yerkes, executive director of the Ohio Energy Project.
The Energy Bike Project concluded with a celebration event awarding the students with participation medals. During the celebration, the students gave presentations to demonstrate the knowledge and skills learned during the program.
