Enrollment begins for popular lignite education seminar

 (2/01/08)

What do teachers do when their schools close for the summer? Many continue their own education and for the last 22 years, one of the most popular seminars for teachers has been the lignite education seminar. Over 2,300 teachers have attended the three-day seminar, which includes tours of North Dakota’s power plants and lignite mines.

“This is our 23rd year of offering the seminar and we’ve had over 100 teachers annually since 1993 when we changed the format to allow more teachers to attend,” said Renee Walz, director of member services and education for the Lignite Energy Council. “Every seminar is different as we change to meet the needs of teachers and explore different events in the industry.”

Teachers from a four-state region are expected to attend the 2008 version of the Lignite Energy Council’s teacher seminar titled, “Lignite – Our Regional Resource: Energy, Economics and Environment.” This year’s seminar will be held at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, June 17-19, 2008.

Walz said the seminar provides teachers with a broader understanding of the lignite industry and the important role it plays in providing electricity to homes, farms and businesses. The seminar also provides teachers with the information and educational materials they can use to teach their students about how lignite is mined and converted into electricity and synthetic natural gas.

Teachers who attend the seminar and complete a lesson plan receive one graduate credit in economics from the University of North Dakota. The Lignite Energy Council is providing sponsorships for North Dakota teachers who want to attend the seminar. Teachers can find more details on the seminar and online registration at www.lignite.com/teachers. Out-of-state teachers are eligible to receive scholarships from their local or neighboring utility.

The seminar includes tours of a lignite mine, a power plant fueled by lignite, and the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. The Synfuels Plant converts coal into synthetic natural gas and other valuable byproducts. A tour of the visitor’s center at Fort Mandan, which was constructed with the use of coal combustion byproducts, is also included. Fort Mandan near Washburn, ND, is the location where the Lewis & Clark Expedition spent its first winter.