Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and more than 6,000 volunteers work together in Houston, Texas during a June 1998 Jimmy Carter Work Project to “blitz build” 100 ENERGYSTAR® houses. Photo: Houston Chronicle
As the nation pays tribute to the late and former President Jimmy Carter, FSEC remembers him especially for his advocacy for energy efficiency and affordable housing. From establishing the U.S. Department of Energy, and installing the first solar panels on the White House, to building houses with Habitat for Humanity, President Carter’s solar and humanitarian legacy lives on.
The hand prints of Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter are on Habitat for Humanity homes around the world. They were there, diligently working alongside 104,000 volunteers to build 4,390 homes in 14 countries during their more than 35-year partnership with Habitat for Humanity International.
While this year also marks the Florida Solar Energy Center’s 50th anniversary, we reflect on FSEC’s contributions. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America program, FSEC focused on making “affordable housing” truly more affordable by incorporating energy-efficiency in the design process.
FSEC provided technical assistance, energy design, volunteer training, and on-site implementation leadership at six Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Projects from 1997-2007, resulting in 236 high-performance and ENERGY STAR®-certified homes in Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, New York, California, Kentucky, Louisiana and Texas. Read more
Each year, the Space Coast Science Education Alliance (SCSEA) honors the top science teachers in Brevard County. The Exemplary Science Teacher Award is given in recognition of teachers who go above and beyond to foster a love of learning and develop science literacy among their students. This year, four teachers received the distinguished award.
“It is a true honor to celebrate four of the most dedicated and talented science teachers in Brevard County,” says Kevin Smith, president, SCSEA. “We are grateful for their contributions and the opportunity to recognize their hard work.”
The 2024 Exemplary Science Teacher Award winners are:
Elizabeth Youngs, Viera High School
Nicole Nelson, South Lake Elementary School
Alexandria Wicker, DeLaura Middle School
Kayla Wildenthaler, Mila Elementary School
(Left to right) Alexandria Wicker, DeLaura Middle; Elizabeth Youngs, Viera High (Hall of Fame Inductee); Kayla Wildenthaler, Mila Elementary; Nicole Nelson, South Lake Elementary. Photo credit: Sherri Shields
The Florida Energy Workforce Consortium launched a new scholarship this year promoting careers in energy. Timothy Gallagher, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Central Florida, is one of two recipients of this inaugural award. Each recipient received a check for $2000 to further their goal of working in the energy industry.
Monica Marlow, FEWC Board Member, presents scholarship check to Timothy Gallagher, UCF engineering student and FSEC employee. Photo: Antoine Hart
“We are proud to be able to offer the scholarships to the students who plan the careers in energy sector as another way of supporting energy workforce development,” said Olec Andrić, Education Chair at Florida Energy Workforce Consortium. “We are looking forward to support Timothy Gallagher’s growth at UCF and a successful start of his energy career.” Read more
EnergyWhiz was held on Saturday, April 20th, 2024. Listed below are the award winners for the competitions: Critter Comfort Cottage, Energy Inspired Art, Junior Solar Sprint, and Solar Energy Cook-off.
CRITTER COMFORT COTTAGE (C3)
Best Design
Elementary (3-5) Division
1st – Team Turtle-Tastic, Sally Ride Elementary, Orlando Teacher: Beatriz Berriz
Abraham Lincoln Middle School Takes Top Prize at Florida Regional Middle School Science Bowl
University of Central Florida’s FSEC® Hosts Competition
Winners of the Florida Regional Middle School Science Bowl, Abraham Lincoln Middle School’s Team 1: (Left to right) Andrew Xu, Gavin Xie, Jesse Deng, Daniel Wei, Jaganesh Ramkrishnan. Coach: Paul Busheme
Cocoa, Fla. – On Saturday, February 24, Abraham Lincoln Middle School of Gainesville, Fla., won first place at the Florida Regional Competition of the National Middle School Science Bowl®. The competition took place at the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center® (FSEC®) in Cocoa.
Abraham Lincoln Middle School’s Team 1 was among 10 teams from Florida schools who competed in the fast-paced question-and-answer contest in which students answer questions about Earth, physical, life, and general sciences, and math. Each team is made up of four students, a student alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach.
Abraham Lincoln Middle School’s sixth grade science teacher, Paul Busheme, brought two teams to the Florida Regional Middle School Science Bowl. “The kids this year were really, really excited. We had a lot of students who wanted to participate, but because of the two-team limit, we had to go through a process. We had like 50 plus kids trying out for the team,” says Busheme. This was his first time bringing teams to the science bowl.
This is also the first year that American Heritage School’s sixth and eighth grade honors science teacher, Ashley Ventrella, has brought a team to the science bowl, and she’s elated with their performance. “We utilize our lunch daily to work on content and strategy. Their commitment and drive are what motivate me to be their coach and mentor them in competitions. Next year, we’ll have two teams competing,” says Ventrella.
Abraham Lincoln Middle School Team 2 builds tower out of straws for the Engineering Challenge.
Abraham Lincoln Middle School’s Team 2 placed second and also won the Engineering Challenge, an unofficial event at the science bowl. The challenge was to design the highest tower out of straws. “The challenge kept the teams engaged when it wasn’t their time to participate,” says Guytri Still, former middle school teacher and National Science Bowl mentor. “It was interesting to see how each team tackled the challenge. I’ve seen it time and time again, whether it’s an engineering challenge or the science bowl, teams who work together have the best outcomes,” says Still.
The Abraham Lincoln Middle School Team 1 will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the National Science Bowl, scheduled for April 28th – May 2, 2024. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl® and sponsors the NSB finals competition. The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. FSEC hosts one of 50 regional middle school competitions, and this year’s event was sponsored by JinkoSolar.
Final Results of the Florida regional competition:
1st Place in the Academic Portion – Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Team 1 (Gainesville, FL)
2nd Place in the Academic Portion – Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Team 2 (Gainesville, FL)
3rd Place in the Academic Portion – American Heritage School (Delray Beach, FL)
