By Gloria Castillo Posada, Customer Engagement and Community Services Manager  

It was morning and fourth grade students at Nuestro Mundo Community School were eagerly anticipating the day’s activity. A team from MGE was scheduled to visit to have a conversation about energy and the environment, and the students were excited to learn.   

Luis Morales Barrios, a Senior Service Technician in Meter and Connection at MGE, arrived to provide an interactive presentation about how gas and electric meters work, how to identify gas leaks and what to do if you smell natural gas.  

Morales Barrios says he gets students engaged in his role in the industry through a form of show-and-tell. “I always bring my tools because it is such a unique experience for the students when they see and interact directly with them,” Morales Barrios said.  

A unique aspect of this presentation is language and the integration of Latino culture. The information is provided in Spanish and English, both of which were spoken by students and MGE staff. 

Questions asked by students ranged from energy to Morales Barrios’s native country, Argentina, and his journey to Dane County and to MGE. The interaction between the students and MGE staff about energy education and their life experiences allows for an environment of learning and belonging.   

The school partnerships team in MGE’s Residential and Community Services is committed to providing culturally and linguistically competent energy education and resources for our growing and diverse community. Through bilingual resources, diverse representation in our energy professionals and collaborative programming tailored to the needs of each school, we strive to create an inclusive learning environment for all students.  

Nuestro Mundo Community School is a Spanish-English dual-language immersion charter school in the Madison Metropolitan School District with a student body comprised of more than 60% Latino/Hispanic students and a dual-language immersion program that develops literacy in Spanish and English. 

Visit mge.com/schools to learn more about our school partnerships program, our offerings and how to connect.
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