Progress Energy has donated $15,000 to fund energy and conservation workshops to be launched by ScienceSouth in the fall.
Emerson Gower, region vice president for Progress Energy Carolinas, presented the check to members of ScienceSouth during a presentation Wednesday at the ScienceSouth Pavilion on Jeffries Creek.
The funding will support ScienceSouth’s new “Sustainable Living” program, which will be piloted during the summer.
“We’re very committed to education, to science and math,” Gower said. “This is just a perfect combination.
“We want to make sure our customers use energy wisely, that they know there are alternatives out there,” he said. “One of the best ways to get (information) into the house is through the kids.”
Gower said the program will be a great learning opportunity for children, and it has the potential to influence behavior and habits at home in terms of conserving energy.
Cary Ashworth, chairman of ScienceSouth’s Board of Trustees, said in a press release the organization shares Progress Energy’s determination to use and conserve energy sources, which ultimately protects the environment.
“A partnership between ScienceSouth and Progress Energy to enhance the public understanding of energy conservation and application of hydrogen, solar, and other forms of renewable and alternative energy sources is mutually beneficial,” he said.
One of the main components of the Sustainable Living program includes building a model house with solar panels, a windmill, a green house and desalination.
Children also can participate in workshops ranging from “The Heat Trap Challenge” and “The Water Vampire” to “Power Plants” and “The Forces of Magnetism” that are adapted variations from the solar-powered house.
ScienceSouth is a nonprofit institution with a mission to enrich science, technology and math education using fun, hands-on and inquiry-based education techniques, according to its Web site.
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