FWEE Academy wins Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters public education award

In baseball, a double-play means two outs are made at one time. But in hydropower, a double play can mean two partners are simply “outstanding.”   FWEE and Chelan County PUD received the 2017 Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) Award from the National Hydropower Association (NHA) on May 2 at the NHA’s annual conference in Washington DC.

The OSAW award for Public Education is for the work done in the first-ever FWEE Hydropower and STEM Academy, hosted by Chelan County PUD at Rocky Reach Dam in June 2016.  The academy challenged high school students with five days of hydropower education and hands-on experiences while meeting engineers, divers, fish biologists and others who explained the many tasks required to operate a hydropower plant. Employees also teamed with college educators, counselors and apprentice program specialists to consider various educational pathways available to follow a career in hydropower.

“NHA is pleased to present Chelan County PUD and Foundation for Water and Energy Education with the OSAW Award for Public Education,” said Linda Church Ciocci, NHA’s Executive Director. “Chelan County PUD and FWEE are creating hydropower’s leaders of tomorrow. By developing a fun curriculum to engage students, the academy is ensuring hydropower will continue to provide clean, renewable energy for years to come.”

Since 2007, the NHA has presented OSAW awards in three categories each year:
•    Public education
•    Operational excellence
•    Recreational, historical and environmental enhancement

Click here to learn more about the 2017 Hydropower Academy