Teaching Kids to Take Charge
Energy efficiency is for everybody, especially the youth of this province. Since 2008, takeCHARGE has offered school presentations to teach students the importance of using energy wisely, and taking action to reduce their energy use. Engaging, informative and interactive (with lots of prizes), the two distinct presentations are tailored to educate students from grades K-3 and grades 4-6.
Get involved with our Kids in Charge (K-I-C Start) Program today, and book a 30-45 minute presentation for your students!
Presentations
K-I-C Start School Presentations
For a decade, takeCHARGE has been delivering classroom presentations to students in this province about the importance of energy efficiency. Students can take this new knowledge and apply it to be more energy efficient in their everyday lives.
Energy Efficiency Explorers (Grades K-3)
We all have a part to play in using less energy. Through training to be Energy Efficiency Explorers, students will identify the ways energy is used and discover energy-saving actions they can perform at home and at school.
Energy Efficiency Superheroes (Grades 4-6)
Guided by an elite team of Energy Efficiency Superheroes, students will build on their existing knowledge about energy efficiency, and be introduced to a variety of new energy-saving products and actions to use around their home.
Book a Presentation
Book your presentation online OR email schoolprogram@takechargenl.ca and state the grade and number of students.
Book Online
K-I-C START CONTEST
For more information about the K-I-C Start School contests including details, prizes, entries or for submission, click on one of the following:
Meet the characters
Energy Efficiency EXPLORERS
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Theo Thermostat
Energy Efficiency EXPLORERS
Theo Thermostat
What he looks like: Theo is the smallest of the explorers—he is about the size of an iPad mini. Because he is very shy, he prefers to stay at home. You will find him on the wall of each room of your house, working away as silent as a mouse.
What he does: Theo’s job is very important. He controls the temperature in the house. He is so good at it that he can do it when he is asleep.
Theo’s story: Many years ago before Theo was born, there was no way to keep the house warm. Someone had to put wood on the fire all night to keep it burning. If the fire went out, the house was very chilly in the mornings. Brrr.
On the day Theo was born, he made families very happy and mornings a lot less cold. Today Theo the thermostat is found on many walls, helping to control the heat, even when we sleep! His work is all done automatically, and boy, does he help save energy!
What he likes: Theo likes it when houses are warm and cozy when you need them to be and cooler when you don’t. He also likes it when temperatures are exact, keeping the temperature comfortable and saving money.
Favourite game: Hot Potato
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Isaac Insulation
Energy Efficiency EXPLORERS
Isaac Insulation
What he looks like: Isaac is as big and tall as a fridge. He’s a little soft around the middle. When you say something nice to him, he tends to blush and turn pink.
What he does: Isaac lives in the walls where he keeps busy doing important work. In the winter time, he helps to make sure warm air stays in your house and cold air stays out. In the summer, he keeps your house cool by not letting all the hot air pass through the walls.
Isaac’s story: Before Isaac came along, houses were always cold in the winter. The heat from the stove always escaped through the walls of the house. Families even tried to fill the walls with newspapers!
One cold winter’s day, an inventor put on a sweater, and had a thought: “If I can stay warm when I wear a sweater, maybe my house would stay warm if it had a sweater on.” This was the moment that Isaac Insulation was born! The inventor stuffed the walls with Isaac Insulation. Fluffy like a sweater, he kept the house warm and saved a lot of energy. Today, the walls of all houses and buildings are stuffed with insulation.
What he likes: Isaac likes when homes add insulation to the basement and attic. Bundling up like that saves a lot of energy.
Favourite game: Pin the Tail on the Energy Hog.
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Winnie Window
Energy Efficiency EXPLORERS
Winnie Window
What she looks like: Winnie is a rectangle. Even though she’s very thin, she’s made up of two layers of glass covered in a special coating and filled with a gas. She’s not just any window; she’s an ENERGY STAR® window.
What she does: Though Winnie isn’t very tall, she is a star at saving energy. Winnie is always on the lookout for drafts. She can stop them in their tracks—pesky cold air is no match for her.
Winnie’s story: Long before Winnie, families complained about their old drafty windows. That was until a very smart fellow came along. One chilly winter’s day as he was washing his old windows, the sun was so bright that he had to put on his sunglasses. When he went back to work, he noticed that with sunglasses on, not only did he see better, but his eyes were warmer! BINGO! An idea popped into his head. If the window had another layer of glass, it would help keep the cold air out. But he didn’t stop there. He found that if there was a special coating on the glass, it would act like a sunblock and help to protect the house from powerful UV rays.
And that was how Winnie was born! Today, many windows are built like Winnie, with two layers of glass and a special coating. We call them ENERGY STAR windows.
What she likes: Winnie likes it when homes and offices use ENERGY STAR windows. It makes her feel proud to help save energy.
Favourite game: The Scavenger Hunt. Winnie likes to look for more ways to save energy in the house.
Energy Efficiency SUPERHEROES
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Captain Therma
Energy Efficiency SUPERHEROES
Captain Therma
Known by his superhero friends as The Controller, Captain Therma is always in charge of the temperature in your house. Hardworking, he is a silent guardian, able to control the heat in your home automatically, even when he’s sleeping.
Experience: When he was a little boy, Captain Therma always knew he’d follow his dream of helping the world save energy. But it wasn’t until he studied computer science that he realized he could use his computer programming skills to make energy saving automatic, and therefore, more efficient. Captain Therma speaks fluent in Celsius – that’s how you measure temperature.
Superpowers: He can receive and transmit information wirelessly. Also capable of controlling the temperature.
Special knowledge: Very good with computers and an excellent programmer.
Weakness: Afraid of open spaces, Captain Thermo prefers to stay close to the walls.
Pet peeve: When people turn up the thermostat instead of putting on a sweater.
Accomplishments: Saved 10% of the household’s heating costs by turning the temperature down 5 degrees at night and when the family was away.
Catch phrase: “Is it hot in here?”
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The InsulatR
Energy Efficiency SUPERHEROES
The InsulatR
Despite his big size, The InsulatR tends to be a homebody. He likes nothing better than to lie around the house and is always ready to protect everyone inside from the extreme temperatures outside.
Experience: Knows the home is the castle and makes it as comfortable as possible.
Superpowers: The InsulatR is a shapeshifter – he has the power to transform his shape at will. That means he can fit into the tiniest nooks and crannies of your house. When he does this, he can stop drafts and cold from coming in and warm air from leaking out.
Special knowledge: Chemistry. And counting in R values- the higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.
Weakness: The InsulatR is super sensitive to sunlight so he likes to stay covered. Oh, and he doesn’t like to be touched.
Pet peeve: Why settle for a drafty home when there are so many insulation options available.
Accomplishments: He’s keeping homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
Catch phrases: “Don’t wait to insulate!” and “What’s your R value?”
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Wonder Window
Energy Efficiency SUPERHEROES
Wonder Window
This superhero has quite a few tricks up her sleeve. Her super strength allows her to block even the strongest gusts of wind. She is able to withstand extreme heat and cold. And—oh, yah—she’s invisible.
Experience: Wonder Window is really good at shining a light on places that could use a little help when it comes to saving energy.
Superpowers: Not only does she have the power of invisibility, she has super vision that helps her see the ways to save energy. And according to her, energy efficiency always includes saving money and helping the environment.
Special knowledge: How to let the light in, but keep the cold out.
Weakness: She gets a bit misty-eyed when the temperature changes quickly.
Pet peeve: Leaving doors and windows open when the heat is on is a definite no, no.
Accomplishments: Shining a light on how ENERGY STAR® windows can decrease your energy costs by about 6%.
Catch phrase: “I can see clearly now – to better energy efficiency!”
