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North Branch all 6th and many 5th grade students had the opportunity to play "Who Wants to be a Zillionaire" as part of the Schools for Energy Efficiency (SEE) program. Each year students at North Branch Area Public Schools (NBAPS) participate in a variety of educational activities to learn more about energy use and conservation. Students learned that microwaves use 50% less energy than conventional ovens, that incandescent lightbulbs use 90% of their energy to make heat, the United States makes up 1/20th of the world's population but uses 1/4 of the world's energy which is about $1 million every minute, and that if 10,000 schools shut off their lights for one minute over $81,000 would be saved. At the conclusion of the game, each student received an energy magnet reminding them to save energy.

NBAPS now has a new link on the website called "Saving energy at NBAPS." Visit the school disrict website (www.northbranch.k12.m n.us) and click on the link on the left side of the page. At the site you can view all the energy saving results of the district and find links to many websites containing games and activities for everyone. Learn how to make a pizza box solar oven, do a jigsaw puzzle, use an onliine coloring book, calculate your carbon footprint, and learn how to make your home more energy efficient. Participation in the SEE program for two years NBAPS has saved over $241,000, in costs not incurred for energy use.

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