Grants from Columbia Gas Foundation and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency allow The University of Findlay to host Waste to Energy workshop

On May 20, The University of Findlay will be hosting a workshop entitled “Waste to Energy: Incorporation of Renewable Energy and Sustainable Practices in the Classroom” for local middle school and high school teachers. The workshop will focus on empowering educators to incorporate sustainability into their curriculums and into their classrooms. The workshop is made financially possible by two grants The University of Findlay has received, one that came from the Columbia Gas Foundation in 2018 and one from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in 2022.

According to an article on The University of Findlay’s website, Nathan Tice, Ph.D., who is an associate professor of Chemistry and chair of Physical Sciences at the university, was quoted as saying of the workshop and the positive impact it will have: “The Waste to Energy resource facilitates the development of skill sets necessary for middle and high schools to train 21st-century workers for agribusiness jobs. Students may end up becoming teachers in environmental or ag science or may end up working in the various areas of soybean or biodiesel production. The Waste to Energy resource gives teachers an avenue to show their students that these areas are great career pathways with lots of opportunities for growth in the future.”

Environmental science and agricultural science teachers who participate in the workshop will learn about how to incorporate sustainability into their curriculums. They will be able to get some hands-on experience with biodiesel production as well as learn best practices. Attendance also comes along with another perk: an hour of workshop credit in The University of Findlay’s Master of Arts in Education program.

Attendance costs will be covered by the aforementioned grant funding, and, in addition, a stipend will be made available to help participating teachers’ schools purchase the supplies necessary to put the new curriculum in place.

The conference also happened last year, and one teacher who attended found the experience useful. They were quoted as saying, “The fact that I’ll be able to help my students do these labs and relate them to cutting-edge technologies is awesome. The resource guide is going to improve lab skills, increase engagement, and possibly spark interest in STEM careers.”

For more information about the upcoming workshop, visit its web page.

For more information about The University of Findlay, visit the school’s website.