When you hear the word “energy,” you probably think of your ability to stay awake. When energy is referred to in the form of electricity and power, you might think of engineers, difficult concepts, or topics that are not “meant” for you. Many people are intimidated by the subject, feeling it is easier to ignore and leave it to those who study it. However, since energy is critical to our world and everyday lives, I believe it is important for everyone to understand how it affects them.
As a double major pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sustainability, I have not taken formal classes about energy. I know firsthand how intimidating energy concepts can seem and how difficult it can be to understand them. Despite previously not knowing much about energy, I became part of the Hanley Sustainability Institute’s Residential Energy Team because it was a topic that seemed important to understand.
As I began learning more about energy systems, the changes people can make and how these concepts apply to everyday life, I realized the topic was not as inaccessible as I thought. Before long, I found that I not only understood the material but also knew it well enough to teach others. Because I had recently learned it myself, I understood what was needed to make energy concepts approachable without requiring a strong background in knowledge. This helped me explain these ideas in ways that made sense to other beginners.
Ever since that realization, I have been passionate about helping others learn about energy and see that they can use this knowledge, too. In fall 2026, the Energy Team expanded our educational offerings to include two-hour crash courses on energy called Bootcamp Lite. These events are open to all majors, and while developing the curriculum, we focused on making complex topics more digestible. We worked to find a balance between sharing what felt important and not overwhelming participants.
This required narrowing down key concepts to what the average person is most likely to encounter, exploring demonstrations that could add a physical element to theoretical ideas and using metaphors to explain complex systems. For example, comparing the energy grid to a road system makes something unfamiliar much easier to understand. You may not know what transmission means in the context of electricity, but when compared to an expressway, it becomes easier to grasp that this stage moves electricity at high power over long distances, but not directly to homes. On the other hand, distribution can be compared to surface streets: lower speed, but more direct in getting electricity to its final destination.
This approach was especially useful at the beginning of this semester, when our team welcomed three new members. My goal was to quickly guide them through the learning curve, so they could jump right in and be engaged members of the team. To support that transition, I created a comprehensive manual and presentation covering everything a team member might need to know, how we use that information, and where they could go to learn more. While this required a deeper dive than Bootcamp Lite, the same core principles remained: taking a daunting topic and making it understandable, approachable and applicable.
Making energy topics more accessible has become a meaningful part of my work at HSI. I hope more students feel empowered to engage with these ideas and see that energy knowledge is for everyone. To learn more, join us for Bootcamp Lite from 4-6 p.m. Friday, April 10, in Raymond L. Fitz Hall 585.