Welcome to ALLY Energy’s Voices of Energy podcast with host, Katie Mehnert. In today’s episode, guest Erin Twamley joins the discussion and brings her passion for education to the forefront. Hear about Erin’s children’s book series, "STEM Superheroes" that works to showcase the superhero women powering our planet and the new book which ALLY is partnering with Erin to make, "Everyday Superheroes: Women in Energy".
Background and personal mission (01:39)
Katie jumps right into chatting about Erin's background and the topics of her book series. Find out how Erin is working to get kids interested in the energy future and revolution. How has COVID made people think about their energy consumption and use? Erin shares about her passion for education, where it came from, and her studies with the gender achievement gap. While she has a heart for girls, she also recognizes boys’ need to see female leaders and get the next generation engaged with energy. Erin’s personal challenges in career transition have taught her a lot - from a government job working at the Department of Energy to doing her own thing and living abroad. She emphasizes that you do not have to have it all figured out and that everyone's career is likely to go through several unexpected changes.
About STEM Superheroes (9:22)
Turning the conversation towards the books, Katie asks Erin to share more about the mission of the series and the new book focused on women in energy careers. Erin chats about her desire to help connect the dots and fill in the void in the STEM world by helping to educate elementary students about energy jobs. Why should kids be involved with the process? How can we get them engaged to wrap their minds around agriculture and energy? Erin shares her thoughts on utilizing children’s curiosity and questions to catalyze them forward toward more questions and innovation.
Help us build the next generation of energy superheroes (15:08)
As the episode draws to a close, find out ways you can contribute to the book. You can donate to the kickstarter, nominate women to be featured (nominations end May 1st), and learn more about the funding this book needs. Help in getting "Everyday Superheroes: Women in Energy" to kids around the world to influence the educational system and the next generation of energy superheroes!
