Project Description.
To impact students in a meaningful way, Students Weatherization/Audit Training (SWAT Jr.) was developed by the Kentucky Division of Energy (KDOE) as an educational component of its energy conservation outreach efforts. It was designed to enable Kentucky senior high school and vocational/technical school students and teachers to gain working knowledge of efficient energy utilization in their own school facility.

Participants (two students and one teacher from a minimum of 10 schools per year) attend an intensive two and one-half day training session. The training is conducted by Division of Energy staff with participation from experts in the energy filed (i.e. utilities, energy service companies, and academics). Students and teachers from the participating schools return from the session with the knowledge and materials to carry out an energy audit and awareness program during the school year. It is expected that each group will, in turn, train other students/faculty/staff in order to establish the SWAT Jr. project at each school.

Participants are selected as a result of mailing an "Invitation to Participate" to all high schools in Kentucky (both public and non-public) and all vocational/technical schools. In applying for participation, each school must procure the approval of both school board and principal, provide facility and energy-related data, and agree to implement the activities in the following "principal features" section. The training itself will be conducted at a site to be selected approximately six months prior to the training. KDOE will contract with the selected facility to provide lodging, classroom and dining facilities.

Goals and Objectives.
The primary goal of Kentucky's SWAT Jr. project is to instill a strong energy conservation ethic in the student participants. The program enables students to gain a working knowledge of efficient energy utilization in their own school facility. In addition, the increased awareness of energy efficiency is transferred to the families and non-school activities of faculty, staff and students. Any local publicity efforts of participants through newspapers and radio coverage of school activities increases general community awareness to the importance and value of energy conservation. Students also take the lessons learned and apply them in their homes. Not only is SWAT Jr. a valuable learning experience for students, it can also result in significant energy savings at the facilities of participating schools.

SWAT Jr. introduces high school and vocational school students to various aspects of energy efficiency and fields of interest related to energy, energy management, energy production and utilization. Through contact with professionals from utilities, industries, energy management companies, university faculties, and government workers, these students are afforded the opportunity to learn more about the various energy-related fields and the career options available.

Principal Features. --Organize a SWAT Jr. team to carry out the program. --Analyze energy usage in the school and establish an energy record keeping system. --Conduct an energy audit of the facilities. --Determine the payback on potential energy conservation measures. --Study operation and maintenance procedures. --Conduct a public awareness campaign. --Present a report of recommendations/finding to the school board and principal.

Sustainability and Improved Human Infrastructure.
The hands-on , real-life learning opportunities of SWAT Jr. reinforce the academic expectations promoted by the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). As schools conduct consolidated planning to address the learning needs of their students through all sources of funds, SWAT Jr. will be promoted as an effective resource. In recent years, the SWAT Jr. program has incorporated some of the activities of the National Energy Education Development Project (NEED). This has resulted in a synergistic effect that increases both teacher and student knowledge and promotes improved human infrastructure.

Success Criteria. The following criteria will be applied to the Kentucky Division of Energy's (KDOE) SWAT Jr. program:

1. to define checkpoints during the solicitation process which will determine if sufficient interest exists to warrant continuing the program once the program cycle has begun and,
2. to evaluate the success of the program.
   

Successful Solicitation. The solicitation phase of the program cycle will be deemed to be successful if at least fifteen schools sign up for the training. A successful sign-up includes a commitment from the principal or other school administrator and an agreement for participation in the training session by a teacher or other adult sponsor and at least two students. In addition, at least ten schools must still be committed to attending (meeting the above successful sign up criteria) during the week immediately preceding the scheduled training. If the above criteria are not met, the program may be canceled for that school year.

Successful School Program. A school's SWAT Jr. program will be deemed to be successful if it meets all of the following criteria. 1. One teacher and at least two students complete the SWAT Jr. training session. 2. The training participants form a "SWAT Team" that can be built around a class, club or other extracurricular organization. 3. During the period from October through April, the SWAT Team spends time on SWAT Jr. activities. 4. The SWAT Team conducts an energy audit of their school facilities that addresses the major energy-related components and practices covered in the training session. 5. The SWAT Team conducts or participates in some school wide activity designed to increase awareness of the principles of energy efficiency or use of renewable energy. 6. The SWAT Team conducts or participates in some community activity designed to increase awareness of the principles of energy efficiency or use of renewable energy. 7. The sponsoring teacher and two or more students attend a one-day meeting in Frankfort in early December to report on progress, problems encountered and program successes. 8. The SWAT Team prepares a report of its findings and discusses the report with the school's principal or administrator and the local school board or other oversight group with responsibility for budget and capital investment. 9. The SWAT Team completes one brief interim report and a final report for KDOE covering their activities in the program.

Successful SWAT Jr. Program. The SWAT Jr. program will be deemed to be successful if at least seven schools meet the eight criteria outlined above for a successful school program. It is expected that during the process of program evaluation the above criteria will be applied with common sense.

Links:

http://www.nr.state.ky.us/nrepc/dnr/energy/doeswatjr.html

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