Executive Council
January 22, 2015

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister Responsible for the Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency:

HotShots Initiative Energizes Students

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Minister Responsible for the Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency to provide my Honourable colleagues with an update on the excellent progress made as part of the HotShots initiative.

Mr. Speaker, our government launched the HotShots initiative in October 2014 to raise awareness about the importance of energy conservation among students in Newfoundland and Labrador. I am delighted to confirm that this initiative has been rolled out to all 263 public schools in this province.

As part of the initiative, resource packs have been provided to all schools, including French versions to schools within the French school district. This resource includes facts about where energy comes from in Newfoundland and Labrador, the benefits of saving energy, and how students can reduce the amount of energy they use. All of these resources are also available for download online.

We have also launched a new curriculum-based website as part of the HotShots initiative. Mr. Speaker, this website provides teachers of Grade 6 and 9 Science with links to online resources about energy conservation. These resources link directly to curriculum outcomes for these courses, equipping teachers with exciting new tools to teach students about the importance of saving energy.

Mr. Speaker, through an innovative partnership with Newfoundland Power and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, we are also delivering presentations to primary and elementary schools. These presentations provide students with tips to save energy and empower them to take action within their homes. Over 140 classes have received these presentations since October.

Our partnership with Newfoundland Power and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro also includes two contests for students to communicate the importance of energy conservation, through which they can win prizes for their schools. Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage students throughout our province to enter these contests and help raise awareness about saving energy.

More information on this initiative, including the resource packs, presentations and contests, can be found at HotShotNL.ca .

Thank you.

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2015 01 22                              1:50 p.m.