Educational resources

Energy Conservation Tips

HECO Website: HECO provides several energy conservation tips as well as teacher resources on their website. Neighbor island residents can access their island's utility from this website as well.

Curricula & Educational Materials
Field Trip Destinations

Blue Planet Foundation: Blue Planet offers a quiz with twenty multiple-choice questions and answers that will provide each student with a basic understanding of Hawaii's energy situation in a fun and engaging way.

Climate Change Education: Educational materials for Grades K-12.

Climate Status Investigations

Energy Detective Kits: Request a kit for your school by emailing info@hawaiischoolconservationprogram.org

HECO Energy Education Resource Center (click on the Apple icon at the bottom right): Hawaiian Electric Company provides several resources for teachers and schools.

U.S. Energy Information Administration: Facts, games, and classroom activities for kids.

Union of Concerned Scientists' Early Warning Climate Change Curriculum for Grades 9-12.

What You Can Do at School: Developed by the EPA, this page includes resources for students, educators, and school administrators.

On-Campus Enrichment Activities

Hawai'i Field Trip Destinations

Bishop Museum Onsite School Trip: Bishop Museum Education Department continues to offer a full set of science and cultural programs for your students when visiting the museum. Guided hands-on programs bring cultural and science topics to life, including a Global Warming-focused Science on a Sphere (SOS) program and exhibit.

H-Power, Tour de Trash: The City & County of Honolulu provides tours of several recycling, energy producing, and composting facilities on O'ahu. Teachers may find tour information at www.opala.org.

on-campus enrichment activities

Bishop Museum Holoholo Science Program: A traveling science outreach program that brings exciting, hands-on science family science and classroom programs to your school! Family science night festival focused on energy and climate change will be available beginning February 2010 and will travel throughout the state. These activities also incorporate carbon footprint calculations.

Blue Planet Foundation Speakers: "Climate Change and Hawaii's Clean Energy Future" is a multi-media presentation on the causes of climate change taking place now on planet Earth and what it means for Hawaii. As the sea level continues to rise, now is the time for our state to end its dependence oil and coal for our energy. Students will learn what they can do as individuals and what we all must do as a society to create a clean energy future. Presenters include Jeff Mikulina, Executive Director and Gary Gill, Program Director of the Blue Planet Foundation.

The Green House Sustainability Workshops: Green House educators travel to O'ahu classrooms to teach a variety of "green" classes. Workshops that will be particularly useful when studying energy and climate change involve calculating ecofootprints, building solar cars, and cooking with a solar oven.

HECO Speakers Bureau: Hawaiian Electric has speakers that can come to your classroom to speak to your students about energy conservation. Contact Hawaiian Electric Company for more information.

UH Center for Island Climate Adaptation and Policy: ICAP can provide The Climate Project presentation is a comprehensive and understandable slideshow presentation on the science of climate change and important tools for addressing the climate crisis. They can also speak about the importance of community hazard preparedness and climate change adaptation.

advocacy campaigns & competitions

Blue Planet Foundation Light Bulb Exchange Program:
Blue Planet is building a school-based program that will provide energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs to Hawaii residents in trade for old-style bulbs. School clubs or organizations can become part of this program as a fundraiser for their organization. Contact Gary Gill, gary@blueplanetfoundation.org for more information. Their website includes information on energy policy and clean energy options for the state of Hawaii. Resources include short videos, legislative summaries and issues pending before the Public Utilities Commission. Subscribe as a "Friend of Blue Planet" for regular updates and notice of important energy related events.

GreenFleet Hawai'i: Through its programs, GreenFleet Hawai'i wants to encourage, empower and reward individuals who make informed, charitable and healthy choices for themselves that in turn create a positive impact on the environment and community. Their reCYCLE Energy program donates funds to schools based on the number of kilowatts "donated" by participating cyclists. This is a great program to help encourage biking to school.

HECO Home Energy Challenge: HECO is partnering with O'ahu elementary schools to challenge families to reduce their electricity consumption at home. The schools with the biggest reduction in home energy use will win cash awards.

Kanu Hawaii: Kanu Hawaii's website offers individuals and groups an opportunity to make personal commitments to better the place we live. There are several energy/climate-related pledges already on the site, but students can also write their own. Create a group and you can see what your school's cumulative impact is!

Kokua Earth Action Projects: This initiative helps to facilitate and recognize student achievement in environmental service learning. The KEAP program is facilitating the Conservation Advocates Award and all entries and inquiries should be directed to this program. Applications are due October 16, 2009. Learn more and find applications at

Pacific Year of Climate Change Schools Competition: Students ages 11 and up can enter this contest expressing how climate change is affecting their home. Students may submit photos, poetry, stories, and posters as part of their entries.

funding opportunities

The City & County of Honolulu's Recycling Teaching Partners:
This program funds classroom school workshops on O'ahu from providers like The Green House and Waikiki Worm Company.

Kokua Hawai'i Foundation environmental education mini-grants: Teachers can apply for these grants to help accomplish their environmental education goals. Mini-grants can by used for supplies or to bring in guest presenters, such as The Green House or Bishop Museum, to the classroom. Schools from all islands are eligible to apply. Get information and applications at

Kokua Hawai'i Foundation's environmental education field trip assistance program: Schools can apply for grants to offset costs of admission and/or transportation to sites such as the Bishop Museum's Science on a Sphere presentation, H-Power, and more. Schools from all islands are eligible to apply. Get information and applications at

 

Please contact info@hawaiischoolconservationprogram.org if you know of other resources to add to this list. Mahalo!