Eight Wisconsin schools participated in the Renew Our Schools Competition this fall, which ended in December 2025. With support from FOCUS ON ENERGY® and KEEP – Wisconsin’s K–12 Energy Education Program, this six-week energy conservation competition engages students in hands-on activities to learn how their school uses energy.
EAGLE School of Madison earned first place as a new participant, while Golda Meir School in Milwaukee secured its second consecutive win. Each school earned over $2,000 for future energy efficiency projects.
EAGLE SCHOOL
EAGLE School’s fourth-grade science classes led the effort in the competition. Science teacher Tim Tynan introduced the competition after realizing how well it aligned with their Microclimate Unit. His fourth‑grade classes were already studying how environmental factors influence temperature around their school. The competition offered an opportunity to study the building itself as a microclimate and explore how energy flows through it.
During the competition, students learned how to read watts, calculate kilowatt‑hours, and measure electricity with tools such as the “Kill A Watt™” monitor and the school’s eGauge system. They also discovered how much energy common devices use, and how phantom power, electricity used even when devices are off, adds up. Students also conducted lighting experiments by turning off hallway lights for 15 minutes and watching the eGauge drop significantly. By using natural light from skylights, they found the school could operate safely with fewer lights on.
The competition reshaped how students think about energy. Fourth grader Neils shared, “Before, I wasn’t really aware of energy. I thought it wasn’t that important. Now I know how much it does and how important it really is.” Another student, Kira, added that they used to think energy “just powered lights and computers,” but now understands “it powers almost everything.”
Golda Meir School
Golda Meir School in Milwaukee reentered the competition after winning the 2025 spring competition. Their Green Team, made up of students in 6th through 12th grade, returned this fall with renewed motivation and a clear goal to build on last year’s success…