#EEDay2019. FSEC researchers know first-hand how to reduce energy 
costs in your home. Check out our list of priorities: https://energyresearch.ucf.edu/consumer/buildings/priorities/
Author: Sherri Shields
Space Coast Community Celebrates Its 21st Year Recognizing Exemplary Science Teachers
Cocoa, Fla., August 19, 2019—Six outstanding science teachers received the distinguished Exemplary Science Teacher Award from the Space Coast Science Education Alliance (SCSEA) on August 15 at the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC). The award is given in recognition of Brevard County teachers who go above and beyond to inspire their students to love learning science.
“When SCSEA started this program 21 years ago, it was to encourage exemplary science teachers to keep up their great work, and for the community to say thank you for the sacrifices that teachers and their families make. That goal remains the same,” said Susan Schleith, SCSEA Treasurer and FSEC educator. “Our outstanding science teachers are the key reason Brevard is among the top Florida school districts in science education.”
2019 EnergyWhiz Awards
EnergyWhiz
The 2019 EnergyWhiz was held on May 4, 2019 at the FSEC Energy Research Center (aka Florida Solar Energy Center) in Cocoa, FL. Below are the results from all of the competitions.
Critter Comfort Cottage
Elementary Division
1st Place – Cateepee (Cat) – Hidden Oaks Middle, Palm City
2nd Place – Night Time Party Animals (Sunfire Djungarian Hamster) – Piedmont Lakes Middle, Apopka
3rd Place – Marvelous Macaws (Macaw) – Global Prospective School, West Palm Beach
Middle School Division
1st Place – Ecclectical Engineers (Key Largo Woodrat) – Innovation Middle, Orlando
2nd Place – Solar Duo (Long Tailed Chinchilla) – Innovation Middle, Orlando
3rd Place – The Happy Hedwigs (Owl) – Lake Nona Middle, Orlando
WOW! Award Elementary Division
Night Time Party Animals (Sunfire Djungarian Hamster) – Piedmont Lakes Middle, Apopka
WOW! Award Middle Division
The Happy Hedwigs (Owl) – Lake Nona Middle, Orlando
WOW! Award High School Division
Launch Institute (Rabbit) – Space Coast Jr/Sr High, Cocoa
Energy Innovations
Middle School Division
1st Place – Lil Mil (Solar Hydroponics) – Milwee Middle, Longwood
High School Division
1st Place – MAGS (Modular Automated Garden System) – Lyman High, Longwood
WOW! Award Middle School Division
Lil Mil (Solar Hydroponics) – Milwee Middle, Longwood
Energy Transfer Machine
Elementary Division
1st Place – Quadruple Trouble – Heathrow Elementary, Lake Mary
2nd Place – The Solar Knights – Lake Nona Middle, Orlando
3rd Place – Sproating Duo – Rock Springs Elementary, Apopka
Middle School Division
1st Place – The Energy Engineers – The Benjamin School & The Conservatory School, North Palm Beach
2nd Place – Energy Kids – Milwee Middle, Longwood
3rd Place – RCSAM Double Trouble – River City Science Academy at Mandarin, Jacksonville
Precision Award – Quadruple Trouble – Heathrow Elementary, Lake Mary
Junior Solar Sprint
Best Design – Green Division (Grades 4 – 6)
1st Place – E.R. Solar Storm – NSU University School, Davie
2nd Place – Checkers or Wreckers – Pinewood Elementary, Stuart
3rd Place – Solar Sculz – McLane Middle, Brandon
Best Design – Blue Division (Grades 7 & 8)
1st Place – Solar Lightning – Milwee Middle, Longwood
2nd Place – Milwee RAC – Milwee Middle, Longwood
3rd Place – Solar Broncos – Southwest Middle, Palm Bay
Most Innovative Green Division
1st Place – Checkers or Wreckers – Pinewood Elementary, Stuart
2nd Place – Speed is Key – Pinewood Elementary, Stuart
3rd Place – Beetle Bullets – Pinewood Elementary, Stuart
Most Innovative Blue Division
1st Place – Milwee RAC – Milwee Middle, Longwood
2nd Place – Solar McQueen – Milwee Middle, Longwood
3rd Place – Solar Broncos – Southwest Middle, Palm Bay
Race – Green Division
1st Place – Engilogical – Walker Middle, Orlando
2nd Place – Vibot 1 – McLane Middle, Brandon
3rd Place – Rocket League – South Sumter Middle
Race – Blue Division
1st Place – The Red Speedsters – Martinez Middle, Lutz [video]
2nd Place – Shelby Racing – McLane Middle, Brandon
3rd Place – Solar Sculz – McLane Middle, Brandon
AEOP Award
Engilogical – Walker Middle, Orlando
Solar Energy Cook-Off
Best Design – Yellow Division (Grades 4 – 6)
1st Place – Totally Tubular – Martinez Middle, Lutz
2nd Place – Blaze – Martinez Middle, Lutz
3rd Place – ‘Soul’ar Cookers – East Elementary, Punta Gorda
Best Design – Orange Division (Grades 7 – 8)
1st Place – Ramsey’s Son & Friends – Milwee Middle, Longwood
2nd Place – Bears 2 – Ben Hill Middle, Tampa
3rd Place – Chef Sol – Grandview Preparatory School, Boca Raton
Best Design – Red Division (Grades 9 – 12)
2nd Place – The Hot Pockets – Lyman High, Longwood
WOW! Award Yellow Division
Totally Tubular – Martinez Middle, Lutz
WOW! Award Orange Division
Chef Sol – Grandview Preparatory School, Boca Raton
Culinary Award – Yellow Division
1st Place – The Solar Six – Meadow Park Elementary, West Palm Beach
2nd Place – ‘Soul’ar Cookers – East Elementary, Punta Gorda
3rd Place – Solar Flare – Meadow Park Elementary, West Palm Beach
Culinary Award – Orange Division
1st Place – Chef Sol – Grandview Preparatory School, Boca Raton
2nd Place – Solar Sensation – Hidden Oaks Elementary, Palm City
3rd Place (Tie) – Girls on Fire – River City Science Academy at Mandarin, Jacksonville
3rd Place (Tie) – Ramsey’s Son & Friends – Milwee Middle, Longwood
Culinary Award – Red Division
1st Place – The Hot Pockets – Lyman High, Longwood
Fresh From Florida Award Yellow Division
‘Soul’ar Cookers – East Elementary, Punta Gorda
Fresh From Florida Award Orange Division
Ramsey’s Son & Friends – Milwee Middle, Longwood
Photographs
Photo galleries of the events can be seen here: https://fsec.zenfolio.com/ew2019
City of New Smyrna Beach Hires FSEC to Conduct Building Audits and Solar Studies
The City of New Smyrna Beach is considering solar and renewable energy resources for their municipal facilities, and has hired FSEC’s interdisciplinary team of energy analysts and solar engineers to conduct energy audits and solar feasibility assessments for 18 facilities.
The energy audits will identify cost-effective measures for reducing building energy consumption in order to optimize the expenditures for solar equipment. The solar feasibility assessment will detail the best options for renewable energy, including sizing, installation costs, maintenance costs, system life expectancy, and return on investment. FSEC will provide recommendations for reducing the city’s overall electrical demand and also for developing attainable goals for incremental solar and renewable energy installations.
For more information, contact Faith Miller, New Smyrna Beach Maintenance Operations Director, fmiller@cityofnsb.com, or Colleen Kettles, FSEC Program Director, ckettles@fsec.ucf.edu.
Space Coast Education Community Celebrates Its 20th Year Recognizing Exemplary Science Teachers
COCOA, Fla., August 17, 2018 — The University of Central Florida congratulates seven outstanding science teachers who received the distinguished Exemplary Science Teacher Award from the Space Coast Science Education Alliance (SCSEA) on August 7 at UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC). The award is given in recognition of Brevard County teachers who continually go above and beyond the norm to educate their students in science.
The 2018 SCSEA Exemplary Science Teacher award winners are Michelle M. Berry, Endeavour Elementary; Roger Cohen, Gemini Elementary; Jennifer Cotton, Titusville High; Jeffrey Higginbotham, Rockledge High; Angela Lambert, Harbor City Elementary; Aaron Mitchell, Bayside High; and, Tammie Rutkowski, Riviera Elementary. Roger Cohen and Tammie Rutkowski were also inducted into the Exemplary Science Teacher Hall of Fame, as this was their second award.
New BCPS Superintendent Dr. Mark Mullins presented the unusual “awards” that drew much excitement from the recipients. Each teacher received a Triceratops fossil that had been carefully mounted as a display piece by the Academy of Natural History Preparation, a nonprofit science education organization located in Rockledge. In addition to the elegant banquet provided by Renaissance Catering, each teacher received an honorarium and a one-year membership to a science education organization, such as the Florida Association of Science Teachers.
The inaugural SCSEA Exemplary Science Teacher awards banquet was held in 1999 at FSEC. “When we started this program 20 years ago, it was to encourage exemplary science teachers to keep up the great work and for the Space Coast community to say thank you for the sacrifices that teachers and their families make. That goal remains the same,” said Susan Schleith, SCSEA Treasurer and FSEC K-12 Education Program Director. The great science teachers that we have in Brevard are a key reason Brevard is among the top Florida school districts in science.
“The importance our businesses, industry and other organizations place on science makes Brevard County a very special place to live and work”, said Ginger Davis, retired BPCS Science Coordinator and SCSEA Vice President. That was evidenced by the numerous sponsors from across the Space Coast that made the awards program and banquet possible. Gold sponsors were Brevard Zoo, Canaveral Council of Technical Societies, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida Solar Energy Center, Lockheed Martin, STEMScopes Florida and the Viera Company. Silver sponsors were Academy of Natural History Preparation, Discovery Education, Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and McGraw-Hill.
A new award, the Informal Science Educator Award of Excellence in tribute of Elizabeth Melvin was also announced at the dinner by Jennifer Thompson. Brevard County is known for strong science education outside of the formal classroom, too. Organizations like Brevard County Parks and Recreation, Keep Brevard Beautiful and the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department, where Mrs. Melvin last worked, contribute greatly to science literacy.
The evening had other special moments including recognition of Suzanne Leslie, retired from the Eastern Florida State College Planetarium and Observatory, for her support of the Exemplary Science Teacher Awards Program. For well over ten years the awards banquet had been held at the Planetarium in Cocoa, which is closed and may not re-open due to hurricane damage. John Latherow, who recently retired from Satellite High and who is a past Hall of Fame winner was recognized for his years of service and was invited to continue to inspire others by becoming a member of the Space Coast Science Education Alliance.
The SCSEA is a nonprofit representing organizations and individuals who work together to improve scientific education and STEM literacy in Brevard County. For more information about the Exemplary Science Teacher Awards or SCSEA, please visit www.spacecoastscience.org.
For more information, please contact Susan Schleith, SCSCEA Treasurer and FSEC K-12 Education Program Director, at susan@fsec.ucf.edu or 321-638-1017.
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