Park View student Joshua Rotella discusses the properties of ice and water while other students listen intently.

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Year after year, schools from all over Rhode Island travel to Cranston to participate in the NEED conferences Joanne Spaziano and her students at Park View put on. But until last month, Cranston’s elementary schools had never participated.

Superintendent M. Richard Scherza has made it clear that teaching social responsibility in schools is part of what he has called the “hidden curriculum” for Cranston Public Schools. The schools are focusing on helping to reduce waste, recycle materials, and go green in every way possible, in an effort to learn by doing and to make a difference.

When Karen Verrengia, Energy Educator manager for Cranston Public Schools, came on board with the school department and heard about NEED, she made it a goal of hers to find a way for Cranston’s students reap the benefits as well.

“We received grant money to pay for busing and substitute teachers from Judy Lundsten [the executive director of education programs and services for Cranston Public Schools,] and NEED provided the snacks and lunch,” said Verrengia. “[Physical Plant Director] Joel Zisserson helped coordinate the transportation.”

So in March the NEED energy conference was offered to all 17 elementary schools on a first-come, first-served basis. The number of spaces in the conference was limited to approximately 45 students each day so grades 4-6 were invited to attend on the 18th and grades K-3 were invited to attend on the 19th.

The conference provided a perfect connection to Scherza’s hidden curriculum and a hands-on experience for students eager to learn more about the environment.

The morning activities started out with Spaziano and her students getting the entire group onto their feet for some energy chants. The group included teachers, Verrengia and Mayor Allan Fung, who could be seen chanting, “Uranium, uranium, split goes the atom,” waving his arms accordingly.

The group performed several chants about both renewable and non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil fuels, biomass, solar energy and hydropower. Afterward, the students were then broken up into four groups, in which they remained for the rest of the day. The groups rotated through four stations set up around the room. Each station had hands-on activities and several used the NEED Primary Science of Energy Kit as the focus.

While some students planted seeds in dirt, others played a matching game. Students explored the science of motion, heat, light and sound. They used scientific language in their discussions and used scientific manipulatives such as thermometers, balances and beakers to make observations and predictions and analyze what they were seeing.

After the teachers’ meeting and lunch, an Energy Carnival took place, with the student groups rotating through a series of energy games.

“My favorite part was when we threw the balls into the buckets,” said Waterman student Emily Brynes. “We learned about where the trash goes and how much trash we use. I liked coming today.”

Mariela Torres, a student at Edgewood Highland was at the front of the room, helping Spaziano show the students the difference between an incandescent light bulb and a fluorescent light bulb.

“I wanted to come today because my class is in charge of a recycle center outside of my room,” said Waterman third-grade teacher Lynn Holt. “We collect cell phones, ink cartridges, and plastic bags. I started it, and now we’re more conscious of recycling, and so recycling as a whole, has improved.”

While at the conference, each teacher received a packet of Elementary Energy materials, containing seven energy education books and resource catalog. They were also going to be receiving a classroom set of 30 additional books to keep.

“The NEED program allows anyone to use these kits,” Spaziano said. “All they ask is that you send back the parts of the kits that are not disposable.”

Hou Mao, a seventh-grader at Park View, has been involved in NEED for almost two years now.

“I like it because you get to help the little kids understand how to save energy,” Mao said. “I like working with the little kids.”

Spaziano is one of only three trained NEED educators in the state and has been a NEED Educator and National Trainer for the past 15 years. She points out that kids from all levels can benefit from the program, which offers leadership skills that can’t be taught in the classroom.

Ann Marie Fowler, an English-language-learner resource assistant at Edgewood Highlands, has a daughter – now a senior in college – who was one of the first NEED students when she was in the seventh grade at Park View.

“She was one of the quiet kids, bright but not outspoken,” Spaziano recalled. “But by the eighth grade, she could speak in front of large groups, no problem. Now she’s a step away from being a teacher herself.”

The key, she said, is “kids teaching kids.”

“I can’t carry a note to save my life, but the kids are so into all of the games and songs,” Spaziano. “I’d do [an elementary-level] conference again in heartbeat.”