At Cedarburg Light & Water, we believe that nothing is as important to the future of the community as our young citizens. We pride ourselves on our commitment to energy and safety education in Cedarburg.

Whether it’s through the classroom or the community, we strive to provide a strong network of information to educate community members about electric and water subjects.

As parts of our ongoing educational efforts, Cedarburg Light & Water provides educational materials and presentations to schools, service groups and seniors. We also provide teaching units, videos, publications and workshops to interested groups all year long.

The following are just a few examples of our energy and safety education tools.

Energy Fair
Each October the utility holds either an Energy Fair or a Conservation Expo. All customers are invited to learn about conservation and renewables from a variety of exhibitors and utility staff.

“Watts up?” Portable Energy Meters
Learn to be energy wise. Take one of these energy meters home to learn how much electricity your appliances use and what they cost on your monthly electric bill. The meters are easy to use and are available in the Energy Resource Center at the Cedarburg Public Library. Check-out is free, all you need is a library card!

In addition to the “Watts up?” meter, we have a portable electric meter for use in a classroom setting to display energy usage.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Samples
These energy saving bulbs last up to ten times longer and pay for themselves through lower electric bills – but there are so many different styles to choose from, how do you know which one(s) to buy?

We have a solution . . . Try them out before you buy. A variety of different styles, sizes and wattages of compact fluorescent bulbs are available to check out from the Energy Resource Center at the Cedarburg Public Library. Check-out is free, all you need is a library card!

Energy Resource Center at the Cedarburg Public Library
Through a partnership with our local library, we have established an Energy Resource Center to help patrons learn about energy related topics. A variety of electric and water resource materials are available in the Center and can be checked out at no cost with your library card.

Energy Cycle
The Energy Cycle is a bicycle-powered generator that teaches basic scientific concepts related to the conversion of energy from one form to another and its efficient use for lighting, heating, and transportation.

These concepts become tangible as the cyclist literally feels the effort required to light a bulb, heat water, or spin a motor. This is a fantastic education tool for use in the classroom as well as other settings. We will even send someone along with the bicycle to help facilitate your program.

KEEP scholarships
The utility provides scholarships for local teachers to attend KEEP — the statewide K-12 Energy Education Program. KEEP is a 16-hour in-service that helps teachers integrate hands-on energy education activities into their classrooms. The program also demonstrates how teachers can use energy education to ensure that their students meet Wisconsin academic standards.

KEEP makes the sometimes-intimidating topic of energy understandable to students of all ages. Second graders can learn about the coal mining process as they “find resources” in chocolate chip cookies. Middle school students can experiment with properties of motors by modeling an electric motor. High school students can discuss “energy futures” by studying energy trends and new technologies.

Click here for more information about our sponsorship of ten Cedarburg High School teachers at the 2003 KEEP course.

National Theatre for Children
Each year, the utility sponsors five live theatre shows presented by the Minneapolis-based National Theatre for Children! (NTC). NTC tours the United States presenting lively, interactive educational shows.

NTC dedicates itself to educating young people on important and timely energy-related topics. Coined with printed curriculum materials and teacher guides, their imaginative and customized presentations effectively reach the students, teachers and parents.

PowerTOWN
The eight-foot powerTOWN educational model makes a lasting impression at safety presentations.

The crackle of a high voltage electrical arc reinforces electrical safety messages that school-age audiences will not soon forget. This realistic tool demonstrates the effects of:

• Contacting overhead lines by an antenna
• Contacting overhead lines by a kite
• Contacting overhead lines by a metal pipe
• Contacting overhead lines by a tree
• Contacting a padmount transformer
• Energizing a vehicle by a downed overhead line
• Energizing a metal fence by a downed overhead line
• Exploding a pole mount transformer
• Contacting substation transformers
• Contacting overhead line with a sailboat mast
• Contacting underground power cable with a backhoe
• "Call Before You Dig"