2 Sumter School District teachers complete Energy Educators Institute

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FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONCKS CORNER - Two Sumter School District teachers, Desire Webb and Faith Gibbons, recently participated in Santee Cooper's annual Energy Educators Institute.

According to a news release from Santee Cooper, state educators were provided with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in critical fields of the energy industry at its institute held at the Wampee Conference Center in Pinopolis.

"This program is truly inspiring and refreshing," second-grade teacher Desire Webb of Pocalla Springs Elementary School said in the release. "The provided materials will impact students for years to come."

Serving as the institute's 33rd-annual series, the 2018 session hosted 50 state educators who received certification following their participation in the week-long, graduate-level course. The participating teachers received classroom preparation materials and a better understanding about complex, energy-related topics, including the production, opportunities and challenges of renewable energy.

Two sessions were held in July. Both of the four-day institutes included trips through the lock at Jefferies Generating Station and visits to Old Santee Canal Park and Cross Generating Station.

Throughout the week, teachers also participated in learning activities and unit planning sessions and connected directly with Santee Cooper experts on topics such as energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, environmental resources, power generation, transmission, distribution, electric safety, water quality and utility economics.

Asked about her thoughts on the institute, third- and fourth-grade teacher Faith Gibbons of R.E. Davis Elementary School said, "I appreciate the visits from the key leaders in Santee Cooper everyone who came to visit or speak to us seemed sincere and completely open to our questions and concerns and were very willing to help us in any way."

Participating teachers represented 16 South Carolina counties including Berkeley, Charleston, Chesterfield, Dorchester, Edgefield, Georgetown, Greenville, Horry, Lee, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union and York.