Green Technology Education Helps Kids Win the Future at Stafford After School Program

Mr. Norm explains hydrogen fuel cell technology to the kids.

What happens when you combine a passion for science and ecology with a desire to teach it to future generations? You find the best possible outlet and get going. That’s when Norman Nadeau, green technology enthusiast, decided that the after school program at Stafford Elementary School was the perfect environment for him to share his knowledge with kids.

Nadeau, or Mr. Norm as he’s known to the students, started with the program as a Taekwondo instructor. As he finished his first book about energy alternatives titled, The Green Revolution (Random House Publishing), and had fully incorporated environmentally friendly changes to the way he lives, he decided it would be a good idea to teach the kids in the after school program all about going green. Now in the second year of the Renewable Energy Program offered at Stafford Elementary After School Program, Mr. Norm incorporates a 20-hour self-scribed syllabus that has the kids doing everything from learning about recharging batteries to constructing their very own hydrogen fuel cell! The program meets 2 to 3 times per week from about an hour and a half. Mr. Norm says he gets a fair mix of boys and girls who sign up – and will often have the same children signing up session after session.

“Our goal is to educate the kids enough to go home and educate their parents,” says Mr. Norm. He tries to instill the mantra of reuse, rethink and recycle to all the participants.

The kids constructing the hydrogen fuel cell literally put it together and run it on a specially constructed board. The volume of hydrogen is extremely low so there is no danger to anyone working on the project. The children also are learning from a hydrogen-cell “kit car” about the ways the technology will fuel our cars and trucks in the future. Mr. Norm has a real life hydrogen fuel cell converted Audi that he uses to demonstrate the real world impact of going green to these eager to learn children. He often assures them that by the time they are old enough to drive a car, the hydrogen fuel-cell cars will be a viable choice.

The Renewable Energy Program runs in concert with the Wacky World of Sciences Program taught by Marie Dawson. In this program, children are experimenting with solar powered ovens made from pizza boxes, potatoes that generate electricity and a clock that runs on water! In addition to the hands-on STEM learning experiences, participants also are introduced to the value of conserving energy and to think outside of the box when it comes to innovative ways to reach every day goals.

Carol Parker, the Site Director, is very encouraged about what she is seeing in the level of excitement the children seem to have reached. “The kids are so into what they are doing they can’t wait to tell me all about what is going on!”

The Stafford Elementary After School program is one of the recipients of the State Department of Education After School Grants. This high-quality program also offers an array of 18 – 20 activities for the children from physical fitness to science and math. There are well over 100 children at the site on any given day, all grades  2– 5, and the program meets 3 to 4 days per week. They are helped with homework, are given snack and “read time” in the first half of the session, and then at around 4:15 p.m. they move on to their planned activity for the day. The program is run by the school and virtually every available space is used to accommodate all the children. The program runs throughout the school year. Summer and vacation programming are currently not available. For more information about this unique program, contact Carol Parker at parkerc@stafford.k12.ct.us.