GET ENERGIZED! AN INTERACTIVE CD-ROM ENERGY EDUCATION PROGRAM

Energy plays a key role in every facet of American life, including transportation, communication, medical services, food production, and basics such as heating and cooking. Americans, however, know surprisingly little about energy and the earth systems that produce energy resources. The 2002 National NEETF/Roper report showed that just 1 in 8 Americans knows how most of our electricity is generated and most overestimate their knowledge of energy issues and problems. This lack of knowledge impedes constructive debate about how to meet our future energy needs and impacts the management of our public lands—lands that are critical to both the production and delivery of our nation's energy.

Get Energized! is one answer to the need for energy education. This CD-ROM program was developed by the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Campbell Creek Science Center in Anchorage, Alaska, for a national audience. Impact Communications of Cleveland, Ohio, designed and produced the CD-ROM. To date, BLM energy producing states Alaska, New Mexico, and Colorado have developed state-specific energy stories to be used in conjunction with Get Energized! Other states will follow. The CD-ROM program is appropriate for individual users at their computers, as a stand-alone kiosk for public lands' visitors, at educational outreach events, and in the classroom. It is also available online. The program is designed to increase the user's knowledge and understanding of energy and to empower him or her to take personal actions that will help address our nation's energy challenges. Through engaging and entertaining formats designed to appeal to an array of learning styles, the program enables users to discover more about energy in a self-directed way. Users can choose from passive interaction, such as viewing videos or reading captioned still photos, to immersing themselves in interactive gaming. It is also designed to provide both formal and non-formal educators with opportunities for exploring and learning more about energy topics. Included is an educator's guide that coordinates additional activities with the various sections of the program and relates them to national science and social studies standards.