Teachers will find many useful links and information on the Education Resources page.

This page provides links and information about programs and activities in schools; stories about teachers and students who “learned by doing;” and news reports about educational activities. 

Northwest Biofuels Association Holds Community College Biodiesel Training for Diesel Mechanics in the Northwest.

On June 13, 2008, over 50 mechanics at Bates Technical College learned about biodiesel - from basics to detailed technical information related to specific diesel engine manufacturers.  “We found the training to be very educational and opened our eyes to using alternative fuels,” said Ray Shjerven, Diesel Engine Instructor.  To learn more about biodiesel training for mechanics or to assist in coordinating one in your area, contact Nikola Davidson at 206.389.8660 or nikola@nwbiofuels.org.   READ MORE

Green Ambassadors: Laguna High School Students Research Biofuels

May 1st, 2007    Linsay Hassett (aka Betty Biodiesel) leads a group of Laguna High School students in the Green Ambassadors program on a tour of Dave Erikson’s home brew biodiesel lab. The Green Ambassadors program was created to get students learning science, civics and environmental stewardship through experience and action. Today’s lesson provided the group with basic information about biodiesel that they could present to their school board. This field trip is just one step in the process to further their mission of converting dirty diesel school busses into cleaner burning bio-machines.  READ MORE

Lincoln High Students Fuel Biodiesel Effort

June 19, 2008    The Lincoln County High School Future Farmers of America club has started the first biodiesel production center at a public school in the state.   With diesel prices in West Virginia nearing $5 a gallon and some analysts predicting it may hit $6 within a year, public school districts across the state are digging deep into their purses every time they fill the tanks of their school buses. One school in Lincoln County may have come up with a solution: It is making its own diesel fuel.  READ MORE

Graduate Students and American Indian Tribes Work for Biofuel Solutions

March 14, 2008    In the midst of rising concern about energy sources, many are looking at local, waste-derived biofuels as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels.  Most biofuel in the United States is made from plants, such as corn, and carried across the country. Transporting biofuel has an environmental impact, and proponents of the cradle-to-cradle philosophy seek to eliminate this impact.   Eight University of Washington graduate students are working with local American Indian tribes on a research and education program about biofuels in the Bioresource-Based Energy for Sustainable Societies program. The research involves bioprocessing of cellulosic biomass, microscale chemical processing, fuel cells and forest biotechnology.   READ MORE and MORE

Sears Tower Or Bust: My Algae-Powered Car Adventure

June 2, 2008  At Al Raby School for Community and Environment in Chicago, a Teach for America instructor instituted a yearlong biodiesel classroom project to create student understanding of the environment and the political impact of non-renewable energy sources. Students grew algae and processed it into biodiesel, eventually powering a vehicle from the school to Sears Tower and back, an approximately 20-mile round trip. Teachers reported that students invested time and energy into this work “because they cared and believed in it.” READ MORE

Coast-to-Coast Biodiesel Pickup Project

Ross McCurdy:   I graduated from Rhode Island College with a degree in Biology and Science Teacher certification and began teaching at Ponaganset High School in 1998. In 2002 I received a Masters degree in Science Education and certification to teach Chemistry. Big advocates of renewable energy, in 2003 we created our fuel cell-powered band “Protium” and developed our Fuel Cell Systems course at Ponaganset High. The course focuses on fuel cells and other renewable energy and combines academics with hands-on projects. These include our ongoing Fuel Cell Model T project and our Biodiesel Pickup.    READ MORE

For more examples of school-based projects click on the Teacher Resources category.