Public statement: FortisBC addresses concerns on Energy Leaders education curriculum

Mar 4, 2022

SURREY, BC, March 4, 2022 – We’re hearing concerns about the Energy Leaders program. We appreciate the conversation around this—energy and how we use it sustainably is an increasingly important topic today and for future generations.

Utilities in B.C., including both FortisBC and BC Hydro, are required by the province to offer energy efficiency education for students enrolled in schools within their respective service areas. We’ve supplemented the Energy Leaders curriculum with additional educational materials about how to use energy safely, the importance of conserving it and how our collective energy choices affect climate change. 

Teachers have shared with us how important it is that the materials they use are bias-balanced. That’s why we enlisted Kidnetic, Vancouver-based sustainability education professionals, and B.C. teachers to build Energy Leaders. The research and material development was done by education professionals for education professionals.

In keeping with B.C.’s inquiry-based learning approach, students are encouraged to think more deeply about different types of energy, where it comes from and issues around its use. The lessons provide opportunity for students to discuss different aspects of energy use, including the impacts of burning natural gas, climate change and viable options for low carbon and renewable energy.

There are lessons that cover the water cycle, climate change, conservation, kinetic and potential energy, thermal energy, stewardship and more, all of which are important energy topics. Teachers within our electric service area can also access circuit board kits from FortisBC to aid in instruction – it’s one of the most popular lessons.

This material is updated regularly, based on feedback from teachers, and we’re in the process of undertaking a thorough third-party review to make sure emerging energy topics that fit within the curriculum are appropriately covered.

We value the feedback from teachers and those who are using the materials in their classrooms have been overwhelmingly positive. To date the feedback has noted that the content is relevant, engaging and important, and presented in a simple format.

We invite educators to take a firsthand look at how the lesson plans would fit with their practice, especially the content related to conservation and energy alternatives.

The Energy Leaders materials are openly available for anyone to download at energyleaders.ca.

 

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