“Aladdin: Your father will never accept me, Jasmine. He does not understand our
love.Jasmine: It has been so long since love touched his heart,
he does not remember.…Aladdin: If only I could find an abundant
energy source – surely your father would accept me then.”Wait a minute.
That wasn’t in the Disney film.
That’s because the dialogue isn’t from the beloved
movie. It’s from the
National Energy Education Development (NEED)
Project, a nonprofit organization that we’ve partnered with as part of our
Children's Energy Education Program. Rather than focusing on
flying carpets and the evil Jafar, however, this script sticks to more scientific issues — natural gases,
for example — making it applicable in the classroom. Instead of Robin Williams voicing an over-the-top
Genie, we now have Genies Propane and Methane in this science-focused version.
Comparing
a classic Disney story to the search for natural gas? Not something you’d expect to hear in an elementary
classroom. But that’s the idea behind LG&E and KU’s Children’s Energy Education Program. We know
science is important. We see it at work every day. By partnering with NEED, we’re able to help bring
entertaining, age-specific and educational information to children.
How do we do
that? By providing useful training and materials to teachers who are searching for ways to make science as
fun as gym class. So, in addition to Aladdin’s quest for energy, students and teachers also can act out
scripts in which Charlie Brown urges energy efficiency or the Jetsons search for future energy sources.
Thousands of teachers have already seen how creative ideas can make a difference in the
classroom. Since our program began in 2009, we’ve trained 1,348 elementary- and middle-school teachers,
reaching a total of 67 percent of schools. Unlike the gold of Agrabah, however, this is an investment that
won’t disappear. That’s because teachers pass along valuable information to their students. In fact, the
program has already reached 77,901 students throughout Kentucky.
Interested teachers
can check out our
website to find ways
in which they can incorporate theatre, games and other fun, interactive initiatives into their science
curriculum. A video library is available as well. To participate in training opportunities, teachers can
register for one of the
Energy Workshops.
With the help of LG&E and KU’s Children’s
Energy Education Program, we’re able to help both students and teachers reach a point where science and
imagination can soar together. No flying carpets needed.
