The importance of science learning in the classroom will come to life during a special three-day workshop for teachers June 21-23 at TulsaTech, thanks to a grant from the American Electric Power Foundation.

Thirty preschool educators from across the state have been accepted to participate in the workshop, called Bright Start, Right Start. Sessions are planned at the TulsaTech Peoria Campus, 3850 North Peoria.

"With all the emphasis in today's environment on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), PSO is proud to help host the research-based education workshop for pre-selected preschool teachers. Funding is provided through an AEP Foundation grant," said Carole Huff Hicks, PSO Community Affairs manager.

The workshop is a joint project of the American Electric Power Foundation, PSO, the Child Care Resource Center of Tulsa, TulsaTech, the Crosstown Learning Center and the Teaching & Learning Collaborative.

Over the three-day period, the teachers will take part in hands-on experiments they can pass along to their students, once the school year starts. Sessions will explore magnetism, electrical safety and other topics. And, the teacher will use every-day props, intended to capture the attention of young learners, such as stacking paper cups to illustrate the importance of classroom cooperation; stuffing magnets in piles of sand to demonstrate what magnetism is and why it's there; experiments to indicate the importance of growing up green; and use of Vanilla Wafers in various portions to indicate phases of the moon. 

Specifically:

* Kathryn Black, Assistant Director/Curriculum at Crosstown Learning Center, will conduct a session on the environment at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 21, using cups, buckets of soil, Sharpies, 3-ounce zip lock bags and paper towels.

* John Newell, PSO plant support at Riverside Station, will discuss electrical safety principles and send the teachers on an electrical safety scavenger hunt, around the TulsaTech campus, looking for existing electrical safety hazards. The teachers will receive utility hard hats and Louie Lightning Bug finger puppets. The scavenger hunt is Friday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m.

* Karen Smith, Director of Tulsa Child Care Resource Center, will facilitate a session at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, June 23 on kitchen science.

PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 530,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. With headquarters in Tulsa, PSO has 4,405 megawatts of generating capacity and provides electricity to 230 cities and towns across a service area encompassing 30,000 square miles. News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at PSOklahoma.com.