FORT WORTH, Texas — Feb. 10, 2005 — So far in the 2004-2005 school year, nearly 12,000 school-aged children in Texas-New Mexico Power Company’s service area have benefited from the safety educational materials the company offers. This represents a 15-percent increase over the same period in the previous school year.

Many students will agree that their favorite subject isn’t science. However, TNMP’s "Enterprise for Education" materials offer a fun way to enliven science classes for students in kindergarten through high school and learn about electrical safety at the same time.

For the past eight years, TNMP has provided safety materials to requesting schools throughout its service area. Through the end of 2004, the total number of students touched by the program amounted to 11,942. The total for 2003 was 10,348. The colorful booklets include helpful hints on electricity in general, and specifics on potential dangers to avoid.

"It is good to see the increase in usage of these materials," said Jay Santage, customer relations manager for TNMP. "The entertaining elements of the materials make it easy for teachers to teach and interesting for kids to learn."

Santage said a bonus is that the program meets some of the state’s core curriculum requirements for a science unit. Teachers are easily able to integrate the materials into their existing curriculum.