News > Energy Education Electrifies Local Students

Energy Education Electrifies Local Students

February 26, 2024

In January and February, Stearns Electric Association visited nearly 1,700 students at 32 schools throughout Central Minnesota for our annual Energy Education efficiency and electrical safety demonstration. 

Students learn about the basics of electricity, including details on generation fuels, conductors and insulators, and how power gets to homes, farms, businesses and schools, during each presentation. Our lineworkers then demonstrate the live electric home and farm model, where students see first-hand what happens when people, vehicles or equipment come into contact with electricity. 

Cooperative lineworkers Matt Pieper and Blake Thompson co-presented the energy education and electrical safety demonstrations this year with energy management electrician, Jamie Plumski and member and employee engagement coordinator, Katie Anderson. 

“Educating students about how to be safe around electricity is so important,” Pieper explained. “We encourage the students to share what they’ve learned with their families so the messages of safety are reinforced to others in their home.” 

“We start each presentation with a general energy background before showing them the safety portion of the display,” Plumski added. “It’s fun to see them connect the dots of what we talk about to what is then shown in the safety display.” 

“You can feel the electricity in the classroom from the students ahead of seeing the live safety display,” Anderson said. “Their reactions to the first arcs and sparks of the display never get old. The linemen are great about highlighting the messages of safety by explaining the dangers of electricity while still letting the kids be excited.” 

Although students are always excited to see the live safety demonstration, the focus of the Energy Education presentations is to stress the Cooperative’s message to be safe and smart around electrical equipment. 

Perhaps the most important safety takeaway from the presentation is the students’ knowledge about what to do if a vehicle they were in were to hit electrical equipment. They learn that it is safest to stay inside the vehicle unless it were to start on fire. 

“Beyond knowing how to be safe if a vehicle they are in hits electrical equipment, I hope students always remember to be careful of a downed power line because you never know if it is energized or not,” Thompson explained. 

During the finale of the presentation one student is picked to dress up like a lineworker and then there is time for the presenters to answer student questions. 

“My favorite part of presenting Energy Education is hearing the comments from students and answering their questions,” Thompson said. “The questions can be all over the place, but it’s always interesting to hear what is important to them.” 

Stearns Electric Association values community involvement and safety for our employees, members and the public. Our Energy Education presentations strengthen these key messages with the hope that students will bring their new electrical efficiency and safety knowledge home to their families. 

For more information on our annual Energy Education programming, please visit stearnselectric.org.