Education and Workforce Development Partnership with Athens Drive Magnet High School
North Carolina’s electric cooperatives’ commitment to building a brighter future starts with investing in the next generation that will help power the state.
Since 2018, high school seniors from Athens Drive Magnet High School’s STEM Academy have visited the cooperative’s statewide office in Raleigh for an educational experience that showcases innovative energy solutions and the exciting technology that the cooperatives are utilizing in their communities to build a more reliable, resilient electric grid.
During the annual visit, the high school students work alongside cooperative volunteers, learning about how the integrated operations center helps ensure reliable energy delivery, and how innovation and technology are changing the way co-op members consume energy. The students also observe an interactive demonstration from the ‘house of pressure,’ a home performance model that uses airflow and pressure diagnostics that can test for and improve energy efficiency in the home.
North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives established the ongoing partnership with Athens Drive Magnet High School, located in Raleigh, in fall 2018 as a long-term workforce development initiative to build student awareness of career opportunities in the energy industry and at electric co-ops.
Prior to partnering with the STEM Academy for the annual on-site visit, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives also pledged their support to help the school install its first solar array.
The partnership with Athens Drive is just one example of how North Carolina’s electric cooperatives collaborate with schools to support education, youth initiatives and workforce development throughout the state.