2025 marks the 13th annual Power Pledge Challenge (PPC), an initiative aimed at helping youth better understand energy use. Participating classes have the opportunity to receive a class visit August to November 2025 related to energy efficiency and are then invited to complete an online pledge to reduce their energy use.
Monthly and semester-end prizes can be earned by participating classes in these regions (based on the utility or regional partner in parenthesis):
- Anchorage and Upper Kenai (Chugach Electric)
- Mat-Su and Eagle River (Matanuska Electric)
- Interior (Golden Valley Electric)
- Juneau (Alaska Electric Light & Power)
- Sitka (City of Sitka)
- Kotzebue (Kotzebue Electric)
- Bering Strait (Kawerak)
- Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC) Communities
- Inside Passage Electric Cooperative (IPEC) Communities
Sign ups are now closed for 2025. Check back for results in December!
Are you a teacher or youth group leader interested in participating? Home school students, extracurricular clubs, or other youth groups, are all welcome to participate. If your community is served from one of the below partners, you are invited to join! Each class/group is its own competition group, or you can combine smaller classes/groups into one (up to 40 students per competitive group), whatever you prefer. Just complete one registration form per teacher/adult leader. The minimum participation level is to receive a presentation and have students pledge to reduce their energy use. You can do more challenges for a chance to win bigger prizes – check out the “Challenges” section below for more. Questions? Email Colleen Fisk.
Free Class Visit Enters Your Class to Win Prizes!
After you sign up, an educator from Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) will reach out to schedule a class visit between August and November. You are entered to win a prize for the month you receive a class visit. The class visit typically takes 45 minutes and includes a hands-on lesson about electricity usage and efficiency. Different energy topics are also available upon request!
Online Pledge
After the class visit, students will be asked to complete an online pledge to reduce their energy use, which takes 10 minutes or less. If 50% or more of the class completes the online pledge within a week of the visit, the class is entered to win regional and state wide prizes!
Prizes and Other Benefits
Monthly prizes: The class which is drawn for the monthly prize will receive ~$100 worth of goodies for the students (such as hand crank flashlights, buffs, swag from partners, or other prizes as available). Every class who receives a visit is entered into that month’s prize drawing.
Regional Prizes: In December, a winner will be drawn for each region to receive a pizza party (and a tour of a power plant if possible). Every class who has 50% or more of their students complete the online pledge is entered to win the regional prize.
Statewide Prize: One class from all the participating classes will be selected for the statewide prize of a pizza or ice cream party and about $1,200 worth of supplies from NEED.org! Every class who has 50% or more of their students complete the online pledge is entered to win the regional prize. You can earn extra entries by completing the optional challenges listed below.
Other Benefits: The activities in the Power Pledge Challenge are designed to increase students’ energy literacy in an engaging way. You can choose when and how to do these activities in a way that fits with your classroom/group schedule. You also have the opportunity to have expert guest speakers into your classroom at no cost.
Complete Optional Challenges for Additional Entries to State Prize
For each of the optional challenges you complete, your class receives an additional entry into the State Prize. Send in one submission per class/group. It is recommended that students work on this individually or as a group (either for in class work or as extra credit), and submit just one file from the class/group.
| Description – click the name of the challenge to follow a link with instructions for teachers and students |
| Personal Electricity Log (works best after class visit) |
| Transportation Log |
| Heat Quest |
| Energy Awareness PSA (Video, flyer, or other visual media) |
History of the PPC
In 2013, Chugach Electric Association partnered with Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) and Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) to start the first annual energy challenge for middle school students leading up to Energy Awareness Month in October. It was originally called “Watt’s Up or Down” and was piloted in three schools. Since then, the name has changed to Power Pledge Challenge (PPC) and we reach eight regions in the state (Anchorage, Mat-Su/Eagle River, Kenai Peninsula, Fairbanks, Bering Strait, Lower Kuskokwim, Cordova, and Southeast) with support from 11 partners. Learn more, and see previous winners, by clicking below.
Learn more