Real work to make them think

Second graders at Nespelem Elementary work Friday with Nespelem Valley Electric technicians, who had set up low poles and cross beams for students to experience lineman work and learn that electricity comes from more than the switch on the wall. Older students in the P-8 school participated too. The "Learning Lab" event was organized by teacher Ralph Rise, who is also on the NVEC board and worked with the Governors Association and Washington STEM, which is working to increase student learning in science, technology, engineering and math. Nespelem was the first of 15 groups of student activities in the learning lab projects, "and we're definitely the smallest," Rise said. - Scott Hunter photo