Partners across San Antonio, including KLRN Public Television and EPIcenter, are joining forces on February 4 to provide a virtual screening of the PBS and Amazon Prime Series “POWER TRIP: THE STORY OF ENERGY.” The screening will feature the FOOD episode, followed by a discussion with author and University of Texas professor Dr. Michael E. Webber; Co-director of Michigan State University’s Food Literacy and Engagement Poll and host of “Serving Up Science” on PBS Digital Studios, Sheril Kirshenbaum; Chief Learning Officer of the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology and Program Chair for SA Smart, Dr. Cliff Zintgraff; and the President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank, Eric Cooper. The panel will be moderated by Chief of the EPIcenter Energy Incubator and Accelerator Andi Littlejohn.

“‘POWER TRIP’ was filmed around the world and uncovers the hidden energy that is embedded in our modern way of life, taking viewers on a journey through the past, present and future of energy,” Webber said. “‘Food’ shows us the energy it takes to bring us our food. It offers great perspective as the global community grabbles with rising food insecurity during the global pandemic.”

The screening is open to the public at large while simultaneously supporting the San Antonio Mayor’s K-12 Smart City Challenge, for which the 2021 topic is food insecurity. The screening and panel discussion are made available with support from CPS Energy and Itron, Inc. as part of the Smart Energy Education initiative. Additional partners include Commuities in Schools of San Antonio, Disco Learning Media, and Alpheus Media.

In the SA Smart Challenge, students in grades 7-12 are presented with a San Antonio-specific smart city problem. The SA Smart 2021 Challenge asks students to address how San Antonio can drastically reduce food insecurity among its residents. Participating students in turn must propose a strategy, product, or service as a solution.