By Jennifer Becknell
York, South Carolina
Alternative energy is a rapidly evolving field that promises to explode in the years to come. And 15 students at York Comprehensive High School are getting in at the ground level.
The students are taking the first semester of a new course on clean alternative energy forms such wind, solar power and hydrogen fuel cells. The course - which began in January through the Floyd D. Johnson Technology Center - is being funded by a $40,000 grant, one of four offered through the S.C. Department of Education.
"We're sowing the seeds of an awareness that there are other energy sources out there," said Mark Wyndham, a chemistry and physics teacher who has been trained to teach the course.
Wyndham - who plans to develop the course as a challenging class - said the program is designed to teach students not only how energy is produced from different sources, but how that energy can be used. The program could expand with the addition of a more advanced class, he said.
As the field continues to develop and energy technologies are introduced and improved, Wyndham said, the students will be able to appreciate the value. "It drives their desire to participate," he said.
Jamie Smith, an 18-year-old senior who is interested in an agriculture-related career, said the course has opened his eyes to the career possibilities. During a recent field trip to York Technical College, Smith and other students saw how biodiesel is being made from vegetable oil.
The course is provided by ETG/Marcraft, a Washington-based developer, publisher and manufacturer of career and technical training curriculum and lab equipment for schools. The grant provided seven Marcraft training panels that students are using to learn about different types of energy.
The training panels include three components: solar energy panels, a wind turbine and hydrogen fuel cells.
During a recent class, Smith was experimenting with a solar panel. He and other students were conducting tests to show how the angle of light that hits a solar panel affects the energy generated by it.
As the course advances, Smith said, students will be learning about and experimenting with wind turbines and hydrogen fuel cells. "The wind turbines, I've never had any experience with that, and hydrogen fuel cells, I think that's going to be really interesting," he said.
Tyler Swick, 15, said students have learned how alternative energy sources can make society better. "If we could get the money to do this, there wouldn't be as much global warming as there is now," he said.
But he also said alternative energy still faces some hurdles. For example, he said, solar panels are expensive, and it takes time to recoup the investment. "They haven't perfected it all yet," he said.
But perhaps because there's plenty of room to grow, experts say alternative energy is a rapidly growing career field. Careers in the field cover a wide range: smart grid engineer, solar installation engineer, energy systems designer, wind turbine engineer, wind fields operation engineer, nuclear engineer and hydroelectric plant engineer.
Kayla Wood, an 18-year-old senior who said she might like to minor in green technologies, said she enjoys the hands-on aspect of the class. "You can see all the possibilities to it," she said.
Wyndham said the students spent several weeks studying the principles of electricity - such as electrical flow, components and circuits - before they could begin the experiments. "In this class, they learn a tremendous amount about electricity," he said.
Zachk Moore, a 16-year-old junior, said his father is an electrician who encouraged him to take the class to "learn the basics to be an electrician and learn what can and will help out this country."
Moore and his classmates were conducting a series of tests on the solar panels, to learn how the use of the energy created the panels affects the electrical flow and voltage.
Wyndham said as traditional energy sources like petroleum continue to become more costly, it becomes more economical to develop alternative energy. "When prices start to change, people start to get back in the game, and biodiesel is one of those areas," he said.
He said the students also talk about energy conservation. "If you can find better ways to conserve," he said, "you nip it in the bud, so to speak, as far as your need for energy."
By Jennifer Becknell
York, South Carolina
Alternative energy is a rapidly evolving field that promises to explode in the years to come. And 15 students at York Comprehensive High School are getting in at the ground level.
The students are taking the first semester of a new course on clean alternative energy forms such wind, solar power and hydrogen fuel cells. The course - which began in January through the Floyd D. Johnson Technology Center - is being funded by a $40,000 grant, one of four offered through the S.C. Department of Education.
"We're sowing the seeds of an awareness that there are other energy sources out there," said Mark Wyndham, a chemistry and physics teacher who has been trained to teach the course.
Wyndham - who plans to develop the course as a challenging class - said the program is designed to teach students not only how energy is produced from different sources, but how that energy can be used. The program could expand with the addition of a more advanced class, he said.
As the field continues to develop and energy technologies are introduced and improved, Wyndham said, the students will be able to appreciate the value. "It drives their desire to participate," he said.
Jamie Smith, an 18-year-old senior who is interested in an agriculture-related career, said the course has opened his eyes to the career possibilities. During a recent field trip to York Technical College, Smith and other students saw how biodiesel is being made from vegetable oil.
The course is provided by ETG/Marcraft, a Washington-based developer, publisher and manufacturer of career and technical training curriculum and lab equipment for schools. The grant provided seven Marcraft training panels that students are using to learn about different types of energy.
The training panels include three components: solar energy panels, a wind turbine and hydrogen fuel cells.
During a recent class, Smith was experimenting with a solar panel. He and other students were conducting tests to show how the angle of light that hits a solar panel affects the energy generated by it.
As the course advances, Smith said, students will be learning about and experimenting with wind turbines and hydrogen fuel cells. "The wind turbines, I've never had any experience with that, and hydrogen fuel cells, I think that's going to be really interesting," he said.
Tyler Swick, 15, said students have learned how alternative energy sources can make society better. "If we could get the money to do this, there wouldn't be as much global warming as there is now," he said.
But he also said alternative energy still faces some hurdles. For example, he said, solar panels are expensive, and it takes time to recoup the investment. "They haven't perfected it all yet," he said.
But perhaps because there's plenty of room to grow, experts say alternative energy is a rapidly growing career field. Careers in the field cover a wide range: smart grid engineer, solar installation engineer, energy systems designer, wind turbine engineer, wind fields operation engineer, nuclear engineer and hydroelectric plant engineer.
Kayla Wood, an 18-year-old senior who said she might like to minor in green technologies, said she enjoys the hands-on aspect of the class. "You can see all the possibilities to it," she said.
Wyndham said the students spent several weeks studying the principles of electricity - such as electrical flow, components and circuits - before they could begin the experiments. "In this class, they learn a tremendous amount about electricity," he said.
Zachk Moore, a 16-year-old junior, said his father is an electrician who encouraged him to take the class to "learn the basics to be an electrician and learn what can and will help out this country."
Moore and his classmates were conducting a series of tests on the solar panels, to learn how the use of the energy created the panels affects the electrical flow and voltage.
Wyndham said as traditional energy sources like petroleum continue to become more costly, it becomes more economical to develop alternative energy. "When prices start to change, people start to get back in the game, and biodiesel is one of those areas," he said.
He said the students also talk about energy conservation. "If you can find better ways to conserve," he said, "you nip it in the bud, so to speak, as far as your need for energy."
