Tuesday morning, December 18, was a cold start to an experience that would warm the heart of even the most unemotional person. As I traveled toward Joe Toler-Oak Hill Elementary School in rural Granville County, North Carolina, I was wondering if I could reach out to the students in the second, third, and sixth grades and impart electrical safety lessons that somehow would affect their lives and empower them to be more aware of what electricity is and what it can do.
Yes, this was my first experience of being in a classroom of children presenting the IAEI/UL “I am Safety Smart” program. I had encouraged IAEI to get involved in this program after touring Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook, Illinois, and seeing what UL was doing for the local schoolchildren when they came to the laboratory on field trips. UL had expanded the program by sending out their engineers as ambassadors to take the program to the children. What an excellent opportunity for IAEI. Our inspectors would make great ambassadors. Local governing bodies send out their policemen and firemen to increase awareness of what they do for the community. Why not us?
After attending the annual section meetings in 2006 and helping Ginger Summer and Barbara Guthrie from UL train a cadre of IAEI ambassadors, I was about to put that training into action. My wife, Mary Anne, accompanied me to take some pictures and to lend moral support. William (Al) Parris, the continuing education & examination manager for the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors and a member of the Education Committee of the NC Ellis Cannady Chapter, IAEI, and Ron Chilton, chief state electrical engineer and state electrical inspector for the North Carolina Department of Insurance were also present to assist.
After introducing ourselves to the principal, Vickie Nelson, and being directed to the room we would be using, we set up and got ready for the first class. The first class was a second grade class of eighteen students. I must confess that this class included one of the reasons I chose this particular school to get started with presenting the “I am Safety Smart” program—Jayden Coleman, my grandson, is in this class.
The students came into the room eager to see what this Safety Smart stuff was about. The class was well behaved and all paid attention and participated. Spike was a big hit. By the way, Spike is the cartoon character that is used to present the situation that may or may not be safety smart. The students were quick to pick up on the unsafe situations. The class period ran about an hour and finished with the students doing the exercises in the Spike workbook: word searches, crossword puzzles, and writing about what they learned from Spike.
A change of pace was next. A sixth grade class with twenty-five students came in. This is the age where things get more active and exciting. Student participation in the experiments takes place. “Smash and Pass – Electricity In, Fingers Out” is an experiment where the students actually drop an electrical clock on the floor from a certain distance and examine it to see if a finger can get to a live part. “Recharge the Alarm” is an exercise that teaches about how smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are lifesaving devices. The importance of testing and changing batteries is taught by having the students choose sides and have a relay: testing a smoke alarm, changing the batteries, retesting the alarm, and passing to the next in line. The experiment that created the most excitement was the “Choke the Smoke” experiment. The students were shown what happens when metal objects are placed in a microwave oven and it is turned on. Of course they are taught to never do this at home but the lesson of never putting metal in a microwave is a strong one. This experiment leads to a lesson on how to put out a fire in the oven by discussing the things that fire needs to continue to burn. It is stressed that by keeping the door closed, the fire runs out of the oxygen needed to burn.
After the sixth graders, it was back to another second grade class and two third grade classes. I was beginning to like this experience. The third grade classes were much like the second grade classes. We added the “Smash and Pass” experiment with several students conducting the experiment. When the school day ended, five classes of students were proudly wearing Safety Smart bracelets and chatting about what they had learned.
Comments and feedback from the students and teachers indicated that the presentations were well received. Days after the presentations, students were relating how they carried the message home. Even my grandson was looking for the listing mark on the gifts at Christmas.
As I drove back home that afternoon, I was thinking how much fun the day was and how the program was a benefit for the students in that school. It was worth every penny that it cost to put the printed material and appliances together in the kits. What a great way to spend time and money. Several of the sixth graders made comments like, “I want to know more about microwaves and how they work” and “I want to know about www.iaei.org so that I can be just like Mr. Carpenter.”
Even though I had inside contacts at Joe Toler-Oak Hill school (my daughter teaches third grade and my sister teaches sixth grade), I expect that word will get around that the electrical inspectors have a great teaching program and doors will be opened for more “I am Safety Smart” programs. All we have to do is ask.
We did learn a few things too. The flip charts and flash cards were not big enough for a classroom setting. It would be better to have a PowerPoint program so all could see and participate at the same time. Also the student prizes like the pencils, rulers, and armbands should be given to each student. Although the students loved them, the bouncy balls and strobe lights are probably too distracting to be given in a school setting. Other settings like a scout troop or church group would be a better place for the balls and strobes.
While the cost of the “I am Safety Smart” kits may seem to be pricey, when you experience the results, money should be no object. IAEI will produce a PowerPoint program to replace or supplement the flip chart and flash cards so that the whole class can see and fully participate.
Let’s get busy and get started as ambassadors in the IAEI/UL “I am Safety Smart” program. The children are waiting for that information. After all, that is where our future electricians, engineers, and inspectors will come from, and also future IAEI members!
Be Proud to Wear the IAEI Brand!
IAEI CEO and Executive Director, and Editor-in-Chief for the IAEI News, James Carpenter was previously the chief electrical engineer, state electrical inspector for the Engineering Division of the Office of State Fire Marshal, North Carolina Department of Insurance. He had been with the department for twenty years, with twenty years electrical experience prior to coming to the state. He was a member of CMP-2 from 1987 to 2002 and was chairman for the last three cycles. He has been a member of IAEI since 1972. He is also a member of NFPA and is serving as the TCC chair and on the Standards Council. He is on the UL Electrical Council, and on CSA International’s Certification Board. |
