I have recently attended workshops for teachers managed by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA). NESEA and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) intelligently set up a system of trainees becoming trainers, so that their very useful curriculum and materials could be spread much further than it otherwise would have been. NESEA educational trainers are responsive listeners who build on experiences and discussions to make a well-tuned yet flexible curriculum. Especially in these workshops, but in other things they do, I appreciate how NESEA uses professionals in the field of sustainable energy and sustainable building to inform and inspire their K-12 educational work. The majority of NESEA members are professionals and enthusiasts in architecture, construction, and renewable energy, not K-12 education, but I joined the organization as a teacher and a representative of my own educational organization because the organization as a whole goes above and beyond working for advancements in education. One great example of exceeding expectations is how NESEA runs Junior Solar Sprint (JSS), an annual engineering challenge for middle school students to build shoebox size solar cars. They improved on the national version of the event, and it is now a very successful program in engineering education from Maine to DC. I've been attending and volunteering at JSS local and regional races every year since 2005.
530 Pageviews Read Stories
- EIN 23-7437161
- 413-774-6051
- 20 Federal Street, Suite 8 Greenfield MA 01301 USA
- www.nesea.org
- Facebook page
- home
- Add to Favorites
Volunteering
Promote This Nonprofit
Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Environment
Mission: NESEA advances sustainability practices in the built environment by cultivating a cross-disciplinary community where practitioners are encouraged to share, collaborate and learn. We envision a vibrant and resilient built environment that supports climate justice and equity.
Results: What is NESEA?
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) helps high-performance building and energy efficiency professionals improve their practices by learning from and networking with one another.
Founded in 1975, NESEA is today the region's leading 501(c)(3) membership organization promoting sustainable energy practices in the built environment.
Our work is vital to increasing sustainability, especially in the building sector. In the United States, the building sector accounts for nearly half of all energy consumption. It also produces nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest single contributor to climate change. To shape the built environment is to shape the future not only of our cities and towns, but also of our planet.
Headquartered in Greenfield, MA, NESEA operates primarily in the northeastern United States (the six New England states plus New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania), but we increasingly reach out to share ideas nationally and internationally. For example, we’ve collaborated with the German Consulate and the Upper Austria Trade Commission to bring cutting-edge products and information from Europe to our BuildingEnergy conferences & trade shows. NESEA is an Associate Chapter of the American Solar Energy Society.
Target demographics: We envision a vibrant and resilient built environment that supports climate justice and equity.
Direct beneficiaries per year: Over 3500 individuals and organizations connect and grow in our NESEA Community
Geographic areas served: Northeast: ME,VT,NH,MA,CT,RI,NY,NJ,DE,PA
Programs: In addition to our yearly BuildingEnergy conferences, NESEA offers a variety of programs for members and the larger community:
BuildingEnergy Bottom Lines - Peer networking groups for NESEA members
BuildingEnergy Masters Series - Online courses on energy efficiency and building science
BuildingEnergy Pro Tours - Half-day tours of high-performance building projects throughout the Northeast
Contact us at nesea@nesea.org, for more information about our programs.
northeast-sustainable-energy-association 10/25/2010
Dear Shawn, thank you so much for the feedback. And just so you know, part of our strategic planning is to review the Chapters and our collaborations. Our Funding for JSS is secured and already we have added another area race - in Southern NH. We are hoping NYC will come online this year as well. Cheers, Arianna