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 “Why should every graduating high school senior have a basic literacy in energy?” Tom Kubicki, professor of technology education at S.U.N.Y Oswego expects all his students answer this question before the completion of his class. Kubicki strives to teach the awareness of sustainable energy to all of his students. “As new social and environmental concerns arise they will have a background in which to grow and learn about it” says Kubicki “also I hope they develop a disposition they will take with them for life and become consumers of energy in a reasonable and conscious effort”
Kubicki’s classes are attended primarily by technology management and education majors. One of the most important objectives in these classes is not only to inform the students but prepare them as well. Jeremy Croft, technology education major says, “Anything I learn here in this energy course I will… [use] when I start teaching and making today’s youth aware of the different ways you can conserve energy.” Throughout the semester students have the opportunity to create and construct many alternative energy solutions. These projects are designed to help students make better decisions in the future. “They do an activity called ‘off the grid house’” Professor Kubicki said, “They have to make their house powered by non-traditional means… no grid hook up, no connections to a fuel line or gas line”.
Technology students have applied their education to societal issues as well. This year is a major presidential election and environmental concerns are an important topic. “If some politician had a plan” says Croft, “a definite plan for alternate ways of powering things or different uses of energy sources I would definitely be supportive. Peter Shayer a technology management major also plans to apply his education to society “Just being able to know what’s going on and know what we can do to change; educating other people about it is the important thing.” In addition, a point that was stressed by Kubicki and several of his students was the importance of teaching this information
to the younger generation of our society.
 When asked the question, what does alternative energy mean to you? Kristopher Teffner a technology education major says that to him it means “Finding new ways to fuel our cars and new ways heat our homes, a greener technology” As current energy sources become less abundant, the issue of sustainable energy grows larger. Professor Kubicki and his students are finding tomorrow’s environmental problems, and answering them today.
-Nora Rudewicz-Class ‘08
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About Oswego
