The Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) and Oconomowoc Utilities have selected Oconomowoc High School (OHS) teachers, Kelly Holtzman and Danielle Chaussee as 2020 Energy Educators of the Year. Holtzman and Chaussee will be honored during the award ceremony at the annual Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education (WAEE) Conference.
The award ceremony will be a live virtual event this year and is free to attend, but registration is required. Join us in celebrating Mrs. Chaussee and Mrs. Holtzman by registering for the awards ceremony on Friday, November 6, 2020, from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Click here to register for the November 6, awards ceremony
Read more about Mrs. Holtzman's and Mrs. Chaussee's award on the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) website.
About Mrs. Holtzman's and Mrs. Chaussee's Work
Holtzman and Chaussee co-teach the Global Sustainability class at OHS, a one-of-a-kind course that blends global sustainability issues and the application of the Spanish language in relevant settings, cultivating a passion within students for making a difference. In the 2019-20 school year, their class worked with the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, Inc. to translate some of their educational materials into Spanish, assisted in the planning and execution of the CUB 40th Anniversary event, and partnered with Evolution Marketing and CUB to create an educational booth display at the 2019 WI Sustainable Business Conference. These partnerships gave students a unique opportunity to interact with and learn from professionals in fields like global sustainability, marketing, and energy education.
In addition to the opportunities that Mrs. Holtzman and Mrs. Chaussee created for the Global Sustainability students, they also spearheaded several school-level environmental projects to get staff and students involved in energy conservation. Through the Cool Choices challenge, staff and students learned how to make energy-friendly changes in their daily lives and in the TREX Recycling challenge, collected recyclable plastic bags to be reused for other products.
Mrs. Holtzman also teaches AP Environmental Science and advises the OHS Green Team. For the last two years, her students have partnered with the Boomerang Bags movement to create reusable cloth bags that have been distributed at our local farmers markets. This initiative involved working with the community and local businesses to seek donations of fabric, thread, and sewing supplies. Then the group scheduled several sewing bees where students, staff, and community members cut and sewed hundreds of bags.
OHS Associate Principal, Melissa Anders, Evolution Marketing President, Lisa Geason-Bauer, and CUB Executive Director, Tom Content nominated Holtzman and Chaussee. OHS Associate Principal Melissa Anders had this to say about the contribution that Holtzman and Chaussee make at OHS, "Kelly and Danielle's goals are to cultivate life-long learners who are culturally sensitive and passionate about serving others and conserving natural resources. They not only teach about energy in the scientific sense; they radiate an internal energy that comes from a selfless passion to serve others." "The Global Sustainability course is the first of its kind that I know of, and it is an innovative way of combining cultural responsiveness, service learning, science, business, and world language instruction. The teachers strive to create learning experiences that immerse students in real-world issues and teach students ethical issues behind energy and conservation," she added.
OHS Principal, Jason Curtis, shared his pride by saying, "Danielle and Kelly have been pioneers in bringing our vision of career, college, and life readiness to life. Their emphasis on creating authentic learning experiences has engaged students in unique and fun ways. We are lucky to have them as part of our team!"
Holtzman and Chaussee will be formally recognized at the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Celebration of Excellence Awards Banquet in November. They will also receive a $1,000 award to help continue their work in Energy Education.
Thank you to the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP), Oconomowoc Utilities, Evolution Marketing, and the Citizens Utility Board for honoring the dedication and innovation that Kelly Holtzman and Danielle Chaussee bring to the students of Oconomowoc High School.
About the Energy Educator of the Year
The Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) annually sponsors the Energy Educator of the Year Award. The annual nomination process and announcement of winners helps to increase the visibility of the network of outstanding educators across the state of Wisconsin empowering students, teachers and community members to make wise energy choices.
This award serves to recognize and reward exemplary energy educators in the state of Wisconsin. By highlighting individuals who have made energy education a priority in their teaching and outreach initiatives, this program helps to demonstrate the importance of energy education to increasing the energy literacy of Wisconsin citizens and improving the quality of life in Wisconsin toward more sustainable human and natural communities. As leaders, these formal and non-formal educators serve as role models helping learners gain the knowledge and skills needed to analyze and resolve energy issues and ultimately adopt energy-saving attitudes and behaviors.
Learn more about the Energy Educator of the Year Award and KEEP by clicking this link.