Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Presque Isle Middle School sixth-grader Megan Seward is full of good advice. In fact, one suggestion she came up with recently won an award.
Contributed photo
MEGAN SEWARD, a sixth-grader at Presque Isle Middle School, was one of six students from around the state to win the sixth annual Energy Savings Tip Contest, sponsored by Efficiency Maine. Seward’s tip was “Be a fan of windmills.” As one of the winners, Seward, the daughter of Danielle and Kirby Seward of Mapleton, received an iPod Shuffle music player and solar-powered charger.
Seward was one of six students from around the state to win the sixth annual Energy Savings Tip Contest, sponsored by Efficiency Maine. The contest was open to fourth- to sixth-grade students statewide.
Creating an energy saving tip was a homework assignment Angel Casavant, sixth-grade PIMS science teacher, gave to her students.
“I teach a unit on energy conservation and energy awareness,” said Casavant. “I use some of the materials that the state provides to do that, as well as some material from Maine Public Service, Co. and information I’ve put together from the Internet. Because it’s such a hot topic, I think it’s really important to present this to my students.
“I had all of my students submit a tip,” she said. “It was a homework assignment, and was something they did after we went through the entire unit, so they had a lot of previous knowledge and were able to come up with some great tips. I was really impressed with the level of understanding that a lot of the students displayed, and how sophisticated and clever some of their responses were.”
Casavant submitted all of the tips to the state and Seward’s was chosen as one of the winning ideas.
Seward’s tip was “Be a fan of windmills.”
“We were talking about windmills in class that day,” she said, “and they’re sort of a like a giant fan. I like the idea of windmills because they help the environment and they power houses and stores and stuff for miles.”
The 11-year-old said she was excited when she found out she was one of the winners.
“I actually forgot about the contest until Mrs. Casavant, who walks on my road, told me that I had won something. I was excited because I didn’t know what I had won,” said Seward. “When I came to school they announced it on the intercom, and I was surprised at what the prize was.
“I was going to meet the governor in his office at the State House and receive the prize, which was an iPod Shuffle music player and solar-powered charger,” she said.
Unfortunately, time constraints kept Seward from attending the award presentation. Instead her iPod Shuffle and a letter from Gov. John E. Baldacci were mailed to her.
“The letter is in my room in a place where I keep all my special stuff so I won’t be able to lose it,” Seward said. “My family was so surprised to find out I had won. My Mom thought I would just get a 100 on my homework assignment; not actually go and meet the governor.”
Seward said she hasn’t gotten much use out of the iPod Shuffle yet.
“We don’t have Internet access,” she said, “but we’re going to get it really soon. Once we get it, I’ll be able to download all my favorite songs. I’m looking forward to it.”
Baldacci said in a press release that the winning tips highlighted the fact that energy conservation need not be expensive or elaborate.
“The winning tips are simple yet very effective things we can all do in our homes and schools to save energy,” he said. “The earlier we get our students focused on the issues and what they can do, the better the outcome will be for Maine and the world.”
The contest is a joint venture between Efficiency Maine, a program of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, and the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security.
The governor commended Efficiency Maine for its continued efforts to educate Maine students on the importance of energy conservation.
Maine Public Utilities Commission Chair Sharon Reishus noted that last fiscal year, more than 10,000 fourth- through twelfth-graders participated in energy education presentations and workshops provided by Efficiency Maine’s School Energy Education Program, which provides support for energy education programs in Maine schools.
“The Energy Savings Tips Contest is a part of a broad effort to get Maine’s school children to focus on energy issues and what they can do to promote energy efficiency both at their schools and in their homes,” she said. “These students get it: saving energy and preserving the planet go hand in hand.”
Casavant said she was pleased that one of her students won the contest.
“I was very proud of Megan. She’s very artistic and really gifted in that way,” she said. “I think she’s a well deserving recipient.”
Seward is the daughter of Danielle and Kirby Seward of Mapleton.
