Energy Education | Jersey City Board Of

Energy Education Program

At DCO Energy, LLC (DCO), we take pride in building a team of both internal and external professional resources dedicated to engaging students and the local community. We have created a JCPS ESIP Project Website that will allow sharing of updates and progress of the ESIP Project and Educational Component. DCO and our Competitive Edge team will include local, educational outreach resources to help align with the Jersey City Public Schools academic objectives for students. We will customize an online platform with interactive multimedia to help promote STEM/STEAM Education, promote the innovative energy solutions in the ESIP, and show our community engagement. From solar animations and renderings to videos and a customized project website, we look forward to developing a platform that advances academic excellence and student achievement.

Our Student Education Program will be implemented by our Competitive Edge team with a partnership with JCPS Administration and teachers of the JCPS school system. The Student Education Program was created to respond to the need for an early introduction and enhancement of student awareness and interest in STEM/STEAM fields, energy efficiency, and construction by providing innovative educational programs for K-12 students.

The program goals are for participants to be exposed to and acquire knowledge and skills for 21st-century careers in STEAM. The goal is to provide educational and career advancing opportunities to the students of JCPS. The programs that we are proposing include but are not limited to Live Classroom, Train-to-Hire, Women in Engineering, NEED Energy Education, and ESIP Exploration.

Our target audience is students in K-12 as each program we implement will address a need or goal and tie directly into the District’s curriculum. While we have a foundation and structure to our educational programs we ensure that all material and information provided is grade specific.

DCO and Competitive Edge will serve as the manager and administrator of the program, curriculum, and staff. Educators/teachers will be hired to assist in administering the program and serve as mentors, guides, and encouragers. Also, we will have guest speakers currently working in the STEAM fields present various topics to students throughout the schools in Jersey City. In conjunction with Jersey City Public Schools, we will provide students hands-on educational experiences, career opportunities and trips to see what STEAM opportunities are available to them.

Educational Services Provided

Live Classroom

An educational program designed for boys and girls of all grade levels to introduce them to STEM/STEAM, energy efficiency, and the construction industries. As part of our project, we will work with the JCPS Administration, staff, and professionals to develop an educational program that ties into the existing curriculum. Our team has planned to implement a STEM/STEAM After School Program in the Fall and Spring, two-week summer programs, and online access to materials and presentations. Each program will be grade and age specific. Our goal is to help the students of Jersey City with educational development but also provide exciting life experiences. We plan to reach every student in the District with this program alone.

A Young Scientist looking through a microscope

Women In Engineering

In an effort to increase the number of women in STEM/STEAM, engineering, and construction, we have designed a program that will allow girls/women interested in learning more about those fields to obtain real-life experiences. As we do for all our programs, we will work directly with the JCPS Administration and staff to design a custom hands-on educational program for women students in Jersey City. The program will help girls/women of all ages learn about the STEM/STEAM fields to increase their exposure for future academic and career opportunities. For those women who are preparing to work or go to college we will work to help them find careers and/or internship opportunities.

Train-To-Hire Workforce Development

Provides job training and apprenticeships to local students and potentially residents interested in pursuing construction industry careers. We will recruit current and former Jersey City students to take part in the program. The progam will be tailored to develop the skills of each individual to increase their opportunity for employment. Also, as part of our Workforce Development piece, we will partner with local minority-owned and women-owned businesses and subcontractors to facilitate their involvement in your ESIP project. By engaging the local MBE/WBE firms during the IGA, we will be able to work with them and guide them through the process. This portion of our program will ensure local JC students and MBE/WBE subcontractors are provided an opportunity to be involved in the project. We have identified companies local to Jersey City that we will work with in lighting, Solar and project specific areas to help train and employ interested students and residents.

ESIP Exploration

We will work with the Administration and building principals to educate and include students in the ESIP Project. Our team will develop grade specific and curriculum tasks for students to complete so they will be involved. This will include but not be limited to taking part in site visits, a mini-IGA, and in-person or virtual presentations. We want the students of JCPS to not only see the energy efficient improvements but also understand the improvements.

Bright Stars Program

DCO will work closely with the JCPS Administration and the Board of Education to hold a “Flip the Switch” ceremony with attendance by major local leaders and news outlets to highlight the accomplishments of the JCPS associated with the ESIP Project. At that time, we will also highlight the achievements of the project and the educational and career advancement of those individuals who took part in the Competitive Edge Programs.

NEED Energy Curriculum

The NEED curriculum is developed by a national Teacher Advisory Board (TAB) that is dedicated to developing and promoting standards-based energy curriculum and training. The curriculum employs a number of strategies for teaching students about energy. Most NEED modules are inquiry-based, using a Kids-Teaching-Kids approach. Activities that are not inquiry-based are highly engaging and interactive, helping students to develop and access critical thinking skills. NEED strongly believes in integrating energy education across all subject areas including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, language arts, social studies, and creative arts. NEED also believes in providing the most recently reported energy data available to our teachers and students. Most statistics and data are derived from the most recent, complete annual data made available by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) at the time of publishing. Working in partnership with the EIA, NEED includes easy to understand data in our curriculum materials.