Electricity is a huge part of modern life, arguably to the point of being overlooked or taken for granted. However, as Spiderman fans know, with great power comes great responsibility.
That message is the core of Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative’s outreach efforts to educate and inform our community about the benefits of conservation and the dangers of being careless with electricity.
“We reach out, just like when co-ops brought electricity to the countryside,” said Bobbi Byford, TVEC’s manager of public relations. “Our mission is educating our members of all ages. We have to drive home the importance of safety and conservation to pass on the same benefits to our children.”
Safety makes up a large part of TVEC’s educational efforts. Over the course of the past year, TVEC programs reached more than 2,850 school-age participants. Additional safety training was provided to first responders and civic organizations for a total reach of more than 4,000 individuals.
“Our service area is so broad that our approach has been to take this out to schools, clubs and organizations, really anywhere we can go,” Byford said. “I have been here 20 years and any time you see news of a death or injury somewhere due to electrical contact, it is just devastating. That drives home the importance of reaching out and touching as many lives as we can.”
Saving the environment and saving money are popular topics as well, and TVEC has programs on energy conservation, alternative energy sources and energy savings tips that are both informative and entertaining.
“When you see these kids at other places—at church or the grocery store—and they say, ‘Hey you came and taught me about being safe around electricity.’ It is pretty gratifying,” said TVEC Public Relations Representative Laura Melton. “They do retain some of what we are saying to them and I hope that really stays with them.”
For more information about TVEC’s educational programs, contact Byford at [email protected] or 800-766-9576. Additional information is available at tvec.net/safety-programs.
