For one day they became Energizers, Kilowatts, Transformers, Insulators and Conductors. Who knows, maybe one day they’ll become York Electric lineworkers, now that they know their way around a power pole.
Bucket rides gave students a bird’s eye view of YEC’s York office—and a few laughs. Savannah Mathis, shown wearing a wire coil as a moustache, asked her classmates in the bucket, “Can you see Pizza Hut from up there?” On the serious side, a view of a bird in contact with live power lines sparked imaginations. YEC serviceman Keith Robinson warned kids to stay away from downed lines. “If there’s a problem, get away from it and keep other people away from it, too. Call us or call 911.” Photos: Walter Allread
About 120 fourth-graders from Cotton Belt and Hickory Grove-Sharon elementary schools got a charge visiting YEC April 23 for Safety Day. Forming five teams with electricity-themed names, they donned color-coded safety hats, tried on lineworker gear and listened as co-op employees brought classroom lessons to life. As Hickory Grove-Sharon teacher Juliet Bennett said, “Everything they talked about is important to what we teach. For students, being able to put themselves into these situations is really good.”
Co-op tour guides took the teachers and their teams through five learning stations, including bucket truck rides and equipment displays plus pole-top rescue and a miniature “live wire” safety demo. Students strapped on safety belts to pose as linemen for photos and later showed their smarts in a rapid-fire co-op quiz. Sample question:
Who owns the co-op?
A) Stockholders
B) Your parents
C) The government
D) Justin Bieber
If you answered B, good for you! Like the teachers’ bright young charges, now you’re a co-op Believer, too.
Sorry, Beliebers!
Related Topics:
Safety demonstrations
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Information for kids & teens