Investigating Green Energy Technologies in the City: A Youth Based Project

调查城市中的绿色能源技术（GET城市）是一个以青年为基础的项目，旨在针对得不到充分服务的中学生，并介绍能源可持续性和环境健康的概念。合作伙伴包括密歇根州立大学的教育学院和工程学院，兰辛男孩和女孩俱乐部，兰辛水和光委员会，以及城市选择，一个非营利的能源和环境机构。参与者学习使用IT工具（GIS软件，数据库和通信工具），并获得IT劳动力技能，研究经验，科学知识和查询技能。项目组成部分包括两周一次的课后课程（18周），为期3周的暑期课程，包括实地设计经验，社区能源活动，家长参与活动，职业实地考察和项目网站。青年还将参加一年一度的社区博览会，并进行能源审计。涵盖的主题包括限电，环境健康，替代能源和绿色能源技术。青年将得到能源导师的持续支持，并获得领导经验。该项目将导致制定一个课程，其中包括以信息技术为基础的调查，重点是核心能源概念。GET城市还包括一个研究部分，研究青年在科学，工程和IT方面的身份发展，试图了解该计划如何支持参与IT实践社区。这项研究，结合综合评估，将有助于该领域提供洞察力的方案设计如何促进青年参与和学习科学，工程和IT。七十个青年将获得280个接触小时超过两年的参与。

Investigating Green Energy Technologies in the City (GET City) is a youth-based project designed to target underserved middle school students and introduce concepts in energy sustainability and environmental health. Partners include Michigan State University's College of Education and College of Engineering, Lansing Boys and Girls Club, Lansing Board of Water and Light, and Urban Options, a non-profit energy and environmental agency. Participants learn to use IT tools (GIS software, databases, and communication tools) and gain IT workforce skills, research experiences, science knowledge, and inquiry skills. Project components include bi-weekly afterschool sessions (18 weeks), a 3-week summer program with field-based design experiences, community energy events, parental involvement activities, career field trips, and a project website. Youth will also participate in an annual community fair and conduct energy audits. Topics covered include brownouts, environmental health, alternative energy sources, and green energy technologies. Youth will receive ongoing support from energy mentors and gain leadership experience. The project will result in the development of a curriculum that includes IT-based investigations with a focus on core energy concepts. GET City also includes a research component that examines youth identity development in science, engineering, and IT in an attempt to understand how the program supports participation in an IT community of practice. The research, in conjunction with the comprehensive evaluation, will contribute to the field by providing insight into how the program design fosters youth engagement and learning in science, engineering, and IT. Seventy youth will receive 280 contact hours over two years of participation.