Registration is now open for the Lignite Energy Council’s 32nd Annual Lignite Education Seminar: Energy, Economics and Environment. The four-day seminar gives elementary, middle and high school teachers in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana and Iowa a first-hand look at North Dakota’s fifth largest industry, lignite mining and related energy production. The seminar will be held June 12 – 15, 2017, at Bismarck State College’s National Energy Center of Excellence, Bismarck, N.D.

“School administrators and teachers from all grade and subject levels should apply before April 14, 2017, but the earlier the better as the seminar does fill up fast,” said Kay LaCoe, Lignite Energy Council director of membership marketing. “One of the biggest draws of our seminar is that it offers two professional development graduate credits paid for by the Lignite Energy Council, not to mention the popular tours of lignite facilities such as a lignite mine and power plant.”

Teachers who attend and complete a lesson plan can choose from one of three North Dakota institutions from which to receive their graduate credits: University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University and Minot State University.

The seminar provides instruction on these topics and more: history, geology, land reclamation, environmental protection, and economics of the lignite industry, the need for more workers, energy conservation, and transmission. Besides the classroom instruction and the tours, teachers will take home handouts, videos, coal samples and activities that can be used in the classroom.

The online application for all teachers is available at https://lignite.com/teachers.

The Lignite Energy Council is a regional trade association representing North Dakota lignite producers, electric utilities and 300 businesses providing goods and services to the mines and plants. The lignite industry generates approximately $3.5 billion in gross business volume within the state.