Fourth and fifth grade students at Wiscasset Elementary School kicked off the new year with a presentation by Central Maine Power’s educator Danielle Barry. A long table was set up to display “Safety City,” a model town with power lines, cars, buildings and people.

The students were curious as Barry pulled out a set of gloves, explaining that for line workers to touch the real power lines modeled in Safety City, they needed two pairs of gloves: Expensive specialized rubber gloves and leather gloves to protect the rubber gloves.

The students quickly learned that line workers must wear these gloves because, “No line is safe to touch, ever.” Barry then demonstrated how electricity always seeks the quickest path to the ground. She did this by electrifying the Safety City table. Students watched with great attention as electricity sparked onto model cars, people, and the ground. They learned to stay away from all power lines and to call CMP to report downed power lines. Several students were curious about the different jobs available at Central Maine Power, and Barry talked about line workers, dispatchers and educators, like her.

The students were delighted to leave the presentation with a little CMP swag, including an activity book reviewing what they learned, bracelets, and color-changing erasers.