U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Teachers Association announced the kick-off of registration for a nationwide student contest to help families save money by saving energy at home. As part of the Obama Administration’s support for student education in science, technology, engineering, and math,America’s Home Energy Education Challenge (AHEEC) will engage students in elementary and middle schools across the Nation to help them learn the science of energy and make wise energy choices. This initiative aims to educate America's youth about the benefits of energy efficiency, motivate students to play a more active role in how their families use energy, and help families across the country reduce their energy bills.

Run by the National Science Teachers Association for the Department of Energy, the program will encourage students, teachers, and families to learn more about energy use and efficiency and become more aware of how homes, schools, and utilities are interconnected within the community, while inspiring students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Registration begins today and ends October 7, 2011. Students, teachers and principals are encouraged to register to participate at HomeEnergyChallenge.org. Participation in AHEEC will be broken into two parts: the Home Energy Challenge and the Energy Fitness Award. Each is designed to encourage students to learn about science and home energy savings, and participants can chose one or get involved with both.

The Home Energy Challenge involves students and their teachers in the third through eighth grades in an energy use comparison activity in which data from the three-month competition period is compared to the previous year's energy use for the same three months. The goal is to teach students ways to reduce home energy use and measure their energy savings. Schools and classes will compete within 11 regions for more than $200,000 in prizes that will be distributed at the regional and national levels of the competition. The first place regional award winners will qualify for the national competition, in which a panel of educators, scientists, and energy experts will evaluate them for national awards.

The other part of AHEEC is the Energy Fitness Award, an individual challenge that will begin September 20, 2011. Modeled after the President's Physical Fitness Test, the Energy Fitness Award encourages students to complete specific tasks, such as interpreting a home energy bill and learning how to conduct a home energy assessment, and then demonstrate their learning and proficiency.

To register to join America's Home Energy Education Challenge or to find more information, please visit HomeEnergyChallenge.org. To learn more about the steps you can take to make a difference in your home energy consumption, please visit the Department of Energy’s Energy Savers website.