The “Smart City” Education Center at the Chula Vista Public Library has recently been opened to teach students about renewable energy and conservation in a fun and interactive way.
“Our flagship library just keeps getting better,” Chula Vista mayor Mary Salas said. “This innovative new Smart City program allows us to showcase the important work we’ve been doing to provide a learning space that aims to inspire local residents, young and old, to master energy efficiency and sustainability.”
The program – a joint effort by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), the City of Chula Vista, and the Chula Vista Elementary School District – features a hands-on activity guide which addresses day-to-day choices related to energy efficiency, and a Monopoly-like board game that rewards students for making choices that improve the energy efficiency of the home they are building. Teachers can receive the Thinkawatt Lesson Plan, a curriculum that has been developed to teach about all aspects of electricity.
The library already features The Innovation Station – a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) lab offering students the tools, technology, and hands-on programs to explore robotics, engineering, 3D design, science experiments, computer coding, and more. It also has an “Energy Lounge” – funded by SDG&E – where residents can check out books, LED light-bulbs and devices called Kill-A-Watts to help them reduce energy use and save money.
“This is a wonderful, collaborative effort to help inspire the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and math students,” said Scott Crider, vice president of customer services for SDG&E. “We need locally grown talent to help us build smart grids, smart cars, smart homes, and smart cities to improve our lives and communities.”
