"Water Drop," a Reedsburg Utility character, visits a third-grade class at a local elementary school. "Water Drop" teaches kids about water conservation.

The National Theatre for Children (NTC) tours the United States presenting live theatre in schools on behalf of sponsoring organizations. In 2009, we sponsored almost 150 shows in 98 schools, reaching an estimated 30,000 students with entertaining presentations about energy conservation and electrical safety. Printed curriculum materials and teacher guides were distributed, educating not only young people, but also teachers and parents about conservation and renewable energy. For more information about NTC, visit www.nationaltheatre.com.

We also work directly with teachers on curriculum development in member communities, offering scholarships for attendance at Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) courses. For more information about KEEP, visit www.uwsp.edu/cnr/wcee/keep.

Member utilities have also used community-based "energy savings challenges" to educate residents about the opportunity to conserve energy through their actions at home. These community challenge programs encourage customers to achieve measurable energy savings over a specific period of time. Rewards are offered for those who achieve energy savings, and tips on how to save energy are provided to all interested residents.

For example, an Energy Saver Challenge conducted by Sun Prairie Water & Light tracked the energy use of each participant and compared usage to the same period the year before. Those who reduced their energy use by 15 percent over a three-month period compared to a year earlier received a $25 bill credit, while the biggest savers and best energy-saving ideas received additional bill credits. Participants in this challenge, conducted in the spring of 2009, saved a total of 21,000 kWh, a savings equivalent to taking 29 homes off the electric grid for a month.