Going green Published Sept. 26, 2008 By Holly Birchfield 78 ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, GA -- Finding ways to cut energy consumption isn't just a concern for adults. It's something that has recently become part of the science curriculum for some Robins Elementary School students. "Going Green" is a cooperative effort among the Robins Energy Office, Robins Elementary School, and Georgia Power to use modern technology to get the word out about how people can save energy. Cindy O'Mara, a media specialist at Robins Elementary, has been instrumental in working with the kids to research energy-saving ideas for the project. "Georgia Power and Robins Air Force Base came up with a project to motivate students to think of new ideas to conserve energy," she said. "Our assistant principal, Brian Perry, came up with the idea to incorporate 21st Century skills in this process." Brian Perry, Robins Elementary School vice principal, said kids are using computer-based programs like WebBlender, Pixie and Inspiration to create posters and other materials that the base can use to educate people about saving energy. Mr. Perry said as part of the project, kids defined what it mean to "go green." "The kids have been doing really well," he said. "They've been researching the past three weeks and they're in the process of finishing up their ads right now. They're looking at ways Robins Elementary School, their little community, can save energy and also how they're going to do it at home." Students have generated ideas such as buying energy saving light bulbs, unplugging the coffee maker, etc. Jim Holton, a Georgia Power project manager who is temporarily assigned to Robins Energy Office, said the kids project ties in with the overall energy conservation campaign at Robins. "In essence, this is a piece of the energy conservation campaign that has been underway for about four or five months now," he said. "What we're doing at the school is just one facet of that campaign. We're trying to plug in the students and the children. So far, we've been focusing on the employees of Robins. Now, we're trying to target yet another audience." It's a group that Memory Rozier, a utility engineer in the 78th Civil Engineer Squadron who was Robins' former energy manager, said is important to reach. "If they grow up being trained what green energy is, then when they do become an adult citizen, it's second nature for them," she said. Mr. Holton said Robins and Georgia Power plan to do all they can to use the students' work any way they can to reinforce the importance of conserving energy.