One Million Students and Counting: Georgia Power’s Learning Power Inspires Georgia’s Future Workforce

Learning Power, Georgia Power’s signature energy efficiency curriculum, reached a major milestone recently, celebrating the one million student mark.  Mrs. Jamie Holland’s 8th grade science class at Elbert County Middle School in Elberton, Georgia marked this important milestone for the Learning Power program.  On the journey to engaging one million students, Learning Power has lit up 56,000 solar panels, built 226,000 circuits and melted 186,000 cubes of ice to demonstrate energy theories in classrooms across the state.  

Georgia Power is continuously looking for innovative ways to deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to our customers.  Bringing energy and energy efficiency education into classrooms helps students and families understand the importance of practicing energy efficient habits.   Available for Pre-K through high school, Learning Power lessons and experiments are designed to boost age-appropriate creativity, problem solving and critical thinking.  Since inception in 2011, Learning Power has delivered interactive lessons in 170 Georgia school districts.

In addition to learning about energy and energy efficiency, Learning Power also introduces students to exciting STEM career opportunities.   “Georgia Power is bringing STEM enrichment to classrooms to foster innovation and curiosity,” explains Joseph Lillyblad, Director, Education & Workforce Development.  “Increasing awareness of 21st century STEM careers among students has never been more important.  We have expanded our reach through digital channels, summer engagement and at-home experiments, ensuring that diverse students are exposed to STEM concepts and related, high-demand careers.”

Throughout the 2020s, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than 1,000,000 STEM jobs will have been added, with an average wage of $95,420 compared to a non-STEM average wage of $45,760.  And because STEM industries are a major driver for Georgia’s economy, supporting 61 percent of jobs and 66 percent of the state’s GDP, students pursuing postsecondary degrees and credentials in STEM-related fields are well positioned for the job market.

“Georgia Power is supporting educators as they prepare the more than 100,000 public school students who graduate each year for the workforce or postsecondary learning.  Because Georgia continues to attract industries needing STEM talent, building a future-ready workforce is a win-win for our citizens and the state’s economy,” notes Lillyblad. 

For more information visit www.learningpower.org

ABOUT LEARNING POWER

Learning Power is Georgia Power’s signature STEM curriculum that sparks inspiration through exciting energy education and experiences. Lessons are aligned with the Georgia Standards of Excellence in science and math and are provided at no cost to teachers or schools.  Resources include Learning Power games (on Google Play and iTunes), summer camps and at-home experiment videos.  Since inception in 2011, Learning Power has recorded the number of students reached through school and virtual visits to determine total engagement for each year.  Visit learningpower.org for more.