To make sure tomorrow’s energy leaders receive a power-smart education today, MCA of Chicago has teamed up with educator Gerard Katz to encourage area students to take part in the Student Leadership Training Conferences, Nov. 19 & 20, 2009, in preparation for a March 2010 national event called The Great American Energy Debate.

The Conferences will be held Nov. 19 at Lyons Township High School, La Grange, IL, and Nov. 20 at Perspectives/IIT Math & Science Academy, Chicago. Katz and MCA encourage Chicagoland students to take part in the Student Leadership Training Conferences, and regional workshops taking place Nov. 19 and 20, 2009, in preparation for a March 2010 national event called The Great American Energy Debate.

MCA of Chicago underwrites the Conferences in the Chicago area. “Over two dozen Chicagoland high schools will have students at the training conferences,” said Katz, “and dozens of conferences like these will take place nationwide before the 2010 main event, which will involve tens of thousands of students.”

In Illinois, the Student Leadership Training Conferences will be held Nov. 19, 2009, at Lyons Township High School, La Grange, IL, and Nov. 20, 2009, at Perspectives/IIT Math & Science Academy, Chicago. There is no cost to the schools for the training conferences, and lunch will be provided. School delegates attending the workshops can select some or all of the activities presented to include in The Great American Energy Debate programs at their own schools. “America’s green building and alternative energy movements gain more momentum every year – and if they are to maintain steady growth well into the future, the energy leaders of tomorrow need to be trained today," said Stephen Lamb, executive director, MCA of Chicago. The debate takes place in  March, 2010, and begins a 10-year school effort to educate students about energy issues.

For more information on The Great American Energy Debate, visit thegreatamericanenergydebate.org. Students can register for workshops at this website by selecting the ‘Register for Leadership Training Workshops’ link.