**Now accepting applications for our 2012 Summer Institute and RET Program!  Read below for details.**

Research Experience for Teachers (RET) (UW): Accepting Applications!
The RET allows teachers to spend six weeks on campus in the summer (July 9-Aug. 18) to develop a classroom lab or activity related to bioenergy.  Participants work with their mentor scientist to conduct bioenergy research and then collaborate with the mentor and the E&O staff to create a related activity to be used in a school setting.  Read about previous RET participant experiences in the following article: A Summer in the Lab.

Bioenergy Institute for Educators (UW): Accepting Applications!
In this one-week Institute (Aug. 13-18), teams of educators explore core areas of GLBRC research, get hands-on experience with our education materials, and delve into the development of inquiry-based classroom activities. The Summer Institute is trageted primarily toward grades 6-12 educators and features numerous field trips, workshops and labs. Check out this article about the 2012 institute:Building Bioenergy Savvy Educators.

We are now accepting applications for our 2012 Summer Institute.  Online application available here.

Integrated Biological Sciences Summer Research Program (IBS-SRP) (UW):

The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) will direct an undergraduate program at UW-Madison during the summer of 2012. This program is part of the IBS-SRP (Integrated Biological Sciences – Summer Research Program) which provides students an opportunity to conduct research as well as interact with peers in an interdisciplinary learning community. Participating undergraduate students will spend ten weeks conducting full-time research. Example study areas include microbial conversion of biomass to biofuels, genomics, enzymology, protein structure, molecular biology, plant breeding, and ecological analysis.
Article: A Summer in the Lab

Kellogg Biological Station Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (MSU): 

The Sustainability Thrust of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) will offer a summer undergraduate research program at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), Michigan State University, focusing on the sustainability of biofuels. In addition to working with a mentor on an individual research project, students will participate in weekly discussions focusing on environmental, ecological, and economic implications of alternative biofuel practices. Students also will meet researchers working on different aspects of biofuel production, from engineering systems to molecular biology, and take field trips to production facilities. Students will present their research finding in a community-wide poster session at the end of the program.

Summer Research Experience in Bioenergy (MSU):
The ten week programis designed to give students experience in the theory and practice of bioenergy in the areas of biology, chemistry, chemical engineering and computational sciences. It includes a variety of projects and participating laboratories and will collaborate with the field-oriented KBS summer research experience (described above) for common experiences. While the main emphasis is on gaining laboratory experience, the ten week program includes informal lectures from faculty and social activities. For more information please contact Professor Jonathan Walton (walton@msu.edu).

Introductory College Sustainable Biofuels Course (UW):

“Bioenergy: Sustainability Opportunities and Challenges” (UW-Madison Agronomy 375, Fall 2010) is a three-credit undergraduate course that explores a wide range of interdisciplinary issues associated with bioenergy. There is a strong focus on systems perspectives and understanding the complexities that are involved and so typical for modern scientific and technological challenges. The potential for future biofuels to be a renewable energy source and to mitigate global climate change is highlighted. This course is a part of the UW-Madison FIG program (First-Year Interest Group, http://figs.wisc.edu/), and all the students also take 1st semester General Chemistry and Environmental Studies: People and Resources.  READ MORE

Consumer curiosity about ethanol continues to rise as news swirls around possible new regulations and changes consumers may soon see at their local pump. While awareness of ethanol has increased over the past decade, many still don’t quite understand what it is and how it affects their car and small engine equipment like lawnmowers and motorcycles. To help educate consumers a bit more on ethanol, Gold Eagle® Co. recently created a very user-friendly tool that provides valuable information on ethanol-blended fuels. The tool shares some background history about ethanol and also assesses the pros and cons of the biofuel.

“We recognized that many of our consumers were confused about ethanol, and we wanted to create a resource to help provide some clarity,” said Tom Bingham, director of marketing at Gold Eagle. “It’s important that they understand the difference between E10, E15 and E85 and know what type of fuel to put in their machinery. One wrong fill up can cause a lot of damage.”

Some tips and information that can be found in the Gold Eagle tool include:

• The A,B,Cs and E of ethanol
• The difference between E10, E15 and E85
• How to maximize gasoline with ethanol
• How to know if your car is capable of using ethanol
• The pros and cons you should know before using the biofuel
• Future usage and production statistics

In addition to learning the A,B,Cs and E of ethanol, consumers should also educate themselves on other ways to help protect their engines. Adding a fuel treatment like STA-BIL Ethanol Treatment®, to their tank, can help enhance engine functionality and improve overall performance.   READ MORE

…The infographic cites data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and other reliable third-parties and depicts noteworthy ethanol accomplishments since enactment of the RFS, including helping reduce oil imports and replace the need for 485 million barrels of imported oil, how U.S. ethanol production is greater than the gasoline which could be produced from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Bakken Shale Oil Formation, and proposed Keystone XL pipeline combined, and how ethanol helps save consumers money.  READ MORE  Download graphic/charts

As they search, they’re doing more than completing an activity in their bioenergy unit — they’re searching for microbes that could play a role in creating biofuels more efficiently. In the process they’ll also get to experience scientific research that has not yet been described in their textbooks.

Since participating in the 2011 Bioenergy Institute offered by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), Kohn, a science teacher at Waterford Union High School in Wisconsin, has been able to bring these real world research activities into his classroom.

During the week-long institute, Kohn says, “I got a really strong grasp of what bioenergy is and the realistic outlooks of what it could do, what it could be, and its limitations.”

The Bioenergy Institute is one of several programs GLBRC offers to assist educators with integrating bioenergy lessons into their curriculum. The programs bring researchers, teachers and curriculum coordinators together to form collaborations and produce high-quality educational materials.

…After completing the Bioenergy Institute, teachers have the option of gaining a more in-depth experience by participating in the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program. As RET participants, teachers work very closely with specific GLBRC researchers to develop educational materials that integrate bioenergy into lessons designed to teach fundamental scientific concepts.  READ MORE

Since Project Green launched in October 2010 with the help of a $300,000 U.S. DOE congressional award driven by state representative Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the program has been a student-led public education vehicle that provides a valuable hands-on approach for its students—students who happen to have visual, hearing and multiple disabilities—to be the teachers. The program’s long-term goal is systemic change in attitude and knowledge about alternative fuel sources like biodiesel, essentially bridging the gap between alternative fuels research and market acceptance, says AIDB President Terry Graham.

…“AIDB students are involved in every facet of the biodiesel production process,” she says. “From the waste vegetable oil pick-up and the actual conversion to bio-diesel to the public relations activities such as hosting tours.”READ MORE

The Energy Camps are followed by a 2 day conference comprised of over 50 seminars in sustainable technology, practices, and policies featuring speakers such as John Jimison, the Managing Director of the Energy Future Coalition, and Paul Sotkiewicz, a Senior Economist for PJM Interconnection.  Thursday night is the Keynote Dinner featuring speaker William Kamkwamba, the author of the New York Times Bestseller “The Boy who Harnessed the Wind”.  The conference concludes Friday morning with the Science Fair and the final conference seminars.

Energypath 2012 is being held at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania; one hour north of Philadelphia, fifteen minutes from Allentown, PA and one hour and forty five minutes from New York City.  READ MORE

The resources are split into two lessons. In the first lesson, students will begin by learning about the different types of biofuels that are being produced as alternative renewable sources of energy. They will explore the advantages and disadvantages of these different types of biofuels, and begin to make comparisons.

The second lesson includes a role-play exercise to aid further exploration of the impacts of biofuels production in countries such as Brazil, Malaysia and the USA.

The resources have been created and trialled as a cross-curricular exercise for whole classes or larger student groups at Key Stage 3 and above. The resources were developed and trialled by Michelle Albury, Jennet Wade and Rebecca Ward, teachers at Graveney School in South London.

The resources are available to download either in PDF format or as editable Word files.

Downloads

(Maximum file size 270 KB)

The Council is conducting a survey to gather people’s views on teaching resources produced by the Council. The survey should take around five minutes to complete and your feedback would be much appreciated. Fill out the survey

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ACES 409 Bioenergy Systems is an online introductory survey course of a wide range of bioenergy issues. Lectures will be presented by the course instructors as well as several experts from industry and academic research. Presentations will be delivered via an online virtual environment (see www.Elluminate.com) optimized for learning that will allow students to interact with presenters and other participants and ask questions in a “live” synchronous format. Topics span the entire life cycle of biofuels from feedstock production to end-product utilization.

“We’re excited to offer this class in bioenergy online. We’ve been teaching it on campus for four years and have had several requests to offer the information in an online format,” said Dr. Hans Blaschek, Director of CABER. “Technology is changing so quickly in the bioenergy arena. This class should be beneficial to people throughout the world who are interested in learning more about bioenergy technology and research initiatives at the U of I.”

Besides gaining an understanding of each topic presented and progress made in that area, students will learn how each issue fits into the broader bioenergy context and the challenges that remain. This course was designed for students wanting to know more about the status of current bioenergy systems in the U.S. and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Register here for non-degree academic credit. Course tuition/fees for academic credit are $1125 and $1236 for 3 undergraduate and graduate credit hours, respectively. A non-credit option is also available for a flat fee of $500. Register here for the non-credit option. Interested participants may register beginning November 9 until January 17, although early registration is recommended.

Bioenergy topics for ACES 409 online include:

READ MORE

Through the partnership, OnSite Energy and MSU Extension have developed a portable production unit that features oilseed crushing press capability for conversion into methyl esters. According to a statement by OnSite Energy, the equipment is mounted in an enclosed cargo trailer and it can be pulled from farm to farm to teach farmers how to make their own biodiesel. Oil can be extracted from a range of oilseed crops such as soybeans and canola. Once oil is extracted using the press, the oil is then pumped into the biodiesel reactor unit, conversion chemicals are added and the automatic system processes the oil into biodiesel.  READ MORE