DENVER – Sept. 14, 2021 – Colorado’s Energy Day Festival is back and in full steam. K-12 students and their families are invited to learn more about the various forms of energy, participate in interactive demonstrations and watch the nation’s first outdoor robotic competition at this FREE event on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East High School, 1600 City Park Esplanade.
“During the pandemic, many of us witnessed the agility of engineers creating solutions for mankind using science, technology, math and engineering. This year’s Energy Day builds on this momentum, providing opportunities to engage students in energy-related issues and demonstrate the creativity that engineers use in STEM fields,” says Andrew Browning, Consumer Energy Alliance Chief Operating Officer.
Festival attendees will be able to watch Colorado middle and high school teams compete in the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Tournament. “Attendees will be the first to see the 2021 Infinite Recharge robotics game where each team designs a robot that shoots baskets and performs other activities. No in-person competitions occurred last spring because of COVID restrictions,” said Joel Noble, Coach of the East High School Robotics.
According to a study by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the efforts of scientists and engineers to counter COVID-19 has prompted 52 percent of school-age children to consider a career in STEM. “More students have enrolled in engineering classes this year and there seems to be a greater interest in using engineering to solve the world’s problems,” said Noble who also teaches engineering. Noble added that one-third of the 32-member East Robotics team are women and nearly 38 percent are students of color.
The festival also includes 35 interactive exhibits from a wide range of energy organizations – including an energy efficient Tiny House from Xcel Energy that features solar panels, recycled insulation products and high efficiency heating and cooling. Occidental Petroleum is bringing a high-tech interactive sandbox where attendees can learn how geologists use 3D landscapes to identify natural resources.
Some of this year’s sponsors dedicated to STEM education and energy include Chevron, Xcel Energy, Occidental Petroleum, PDC Energy, SM Energy and Colorado Workforce Development Council.
The festival’s goal is to educate the community, in particular kids and their parents, on the diverse opportunities that exist in the energy industry. Exhibits range from hands-on demonstrations where attendees can see how an energy process works to small and large-scale installations that families can observe and interact with. For more information about Energy Day, visit https://energydayfestival.org/colorado.
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Editor’s Note: Students on the East High School Robotics Team practice 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.