Lignite Energy Council's teachers seminar wins national award

 (3/27/08)

The Lignite Energy Council’s annual teachers seminar was recently selected as the winner in the "Advancement of Energy Education" category by the American Coal Council.

John Dwyer, president of the Lignite Energy Council, accepted the award on behalf of the Council and the instructors from the industry who host the three-day annual seminar.

"This year will mark our 23rd annual teachers seminar," Dwyer said. "Over the years, we’ve worked very hard to make sure that our materials are relevant to the teachers."

This year’s seminar will be held at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, on June 17-19. The seminar attracts educators in a four-state area – North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. School superintendents, principals and teachers of all grade levels from elementary to senior high attend the three-day seminar. Approximately 120 educators attend annually.

The curriculum for the seminar begins with the history of the industry in the state and goes right through the various processes, such as geology, mining, reclamation, coal conversion, economic considerations, environmental issues, research and development and, finally, resource planning. The seminar also includes a day of touring lignite mines, electric generating stations and the nation’s only commercially-sized coal to synthetic natural gas plant. The day of tours concludes with a picnic at the Headwaters Fort Mandan Visitor’s Center, which is built of byproducts – such as Flexcrete – from nearby power plants.

Educators who attend all sessions of the seminar and complete a lesson outline are entitled to receive one graduate credit in economics from the University of North Dakota. The curriculum – including lectures and activities – is reviewed by UND faculty member Terry Hagen, who oversees the seminar as part of UND’s School of Business and Public Administration. More than 2,200 teachers in 600 schools have graduated from the seminar and it is estimated that more than 60,000 students receive some education about lignite and its role in the regional economy every year.