The Agricultural Sustainable Energy Education Network (ASEEN) is a three year long project (2013-2015), sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, to promote sustainable energy education in K-12 schools. The program is managed from the Department of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering Technology at Sam Houston State University.
The three outreach services provided by ASEEN are:
(1) STEM and sustainable energy education workshops held at high schools,
(2) an annual Teacher Professional Development Summer Workshop on renewable energy, and
(3) the development of a renewable energy curriculum consisting of lessons and assessments.
Student-focused Workshops
The ASEEN program has reached out over 750 students through student-focused workshops at high schools and at special events, such as an Earth Day Festival. Using our mobile energy lab-in-a-trailer the program focuses on enlightening bright young minds by letting them get hands-on with different educational energy activities and kits.
If you are located within 2 hours of Huntsville, Texas and are interested in having us organize STEM/renewable energy interactive workshops, contact us. Click here for a list of educational renewable energy kits available.
Students building solar and wind circuits during an "Earth Day Festival" organized by Carl Wunsche Sr. H.S. (2015)
Teacher-focused Workshops
Each summer for the past three years (2013 – 2015) Science and Agriculture teachers from different districts around the state have applied to be apart of the ASEEN program wherein they learn about and how to teach many different types of alternative energies.
2015 Workshop
Held June 8 to June 12, 2015
Participants: 21 Science and Ag teachers
Participating districts: Hudson ISD, Round Top-Carmine ISD, Judson ISD, Plano ISD, Houston ISD, New Caney ISD, Rice Consolidated ISD, Klein ISD, Humble ISD, Conroe ISD, Groesbeck ISD, Katy ISD, and Jacksonville ISD.
2014 Workshop
Held June 9 to June 13, 2014
Total participants: 20 Science and Ag teachers
Participating districts: Westwood ISD, College Station ISD, Leakey ISD, Goliad ISD, San Antonio ISD, Boerne ISD, Franklin ISD, Plano ISD, Spring ISD, Alief ISD, and Somerset ISD.
2013 Workshop
Held June 17 to June 21, 2013
Participants: 21 Science and Ag teachers
Participating districts: Conroe ISD, Frankston ISD, Livingston ISD, Spring ISD, Onalaska ISD, Normangee ISD, Shepherd ISD, Huntsville ISD, Coldspring-Oakhurst Consolidated ISD, Judson ISD, and Blooming Grove ISD.
Click here for information about the teacher professional development workshops we have organized.
Renewable Energy Curriculum
Interested parties are welcome to download available lessons and assessments to teach how electricity is produced from renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind, and hydropower. The curriculum also includes the use of biomass to generate heat and power, as well as production of biofuels. There is also a unit on green building design, which includes discussions of geothermal systems and solar heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.
Teachers constructing wind turbines during a workshop (2015)