‘A Bug’s Light!’ Teaches Electrical Safety to Thousands of Area Students

A superhero insect is headed to 10 underserved elementary schools across Southern California Edison’s (SCE) service area to teach students about electrical safety through a live theatre production of “A Bug’s Light!”

Sparky the Wonder Bug will star in the multimedia, interactive safety production, produced by The National Theater for Children (NTC), which actively engages students in learning what they and their families can do safely around electricity.  An estimated 5,400 students are expected to see the production Sept. 16-20 as part of National Preparedness Month.

Edison International, parent company of SCE, donated $25,000 to NTC to produce the play to educate children in schools in Southern California, including Compton, Alhambra, Santa Ana, Moreno Valley, San Bernardino and Oxnard.

“Safety is our No. 1 priority and we want children, as well as adults, to know how to be safe around electricity,” said Janet Clayton, senior vice president, Corporate Communications for Edison International and Southern California Edison. “When we saw how well students and teachers reacted to ‘A Bug’s Light!’ last year, we were excited to bring it back again and continue educating children about electrical safety in a way that makes learning fun.”

The production uses a combination of interactive learning techniques that include an entertaining, all-school assembly performed by professional actors, classroom curriculum, digital educational games and homework assignments.

Students are taught how electricity is made and used, how to identify dangerous situations both inside and outside the home, and ways to stay safe around electricity, including around downed power lines. In addition, employees from Edison International and Southern California Edison participate, helping to deliver key safety messages at each performance.

The schedule for “A Bug’s Light!” is:

• Sept. 16, Martin Luther King Elementary School (9 a.m., 9:45 a.m.), Compton
• Sept. 16, Fremont Elementary School (12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m.), Alhambra
• Sept. 17, Bethune Elementary School (8:40 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 9:50 a.m.), Moreno Valley
• Sept. 17, Sunnymeadows Elementary School (1:45 p.m., 2:15 p.m.), Moreno Valley
• Sept. 18, Norton Elementary School (9:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m.), San Bernardino
• Sept. 18, Rio Vista Elementary School (1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m.), San Bernardino
• Sept. 19, Kennedy Elementary School (8:15 a.m., 8:50 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m.), Santa Ana
• Sept. 19, Taft Elementary School (1:05 p.m.), Santa Ana
• Sept. 20, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School (9:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m.), Oxnard
• Sept. 20, Ramona Elementary School (1:20 p.m., 2 p.m.), Oxnard.

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About The National Theatre for Children
In 1978, NTC dedicated itself to delivering entertaining and highly educational programs to positively motivate families, students and educators.  We inspire young people — and their families — to explore important and timely curricular subjects including: wise energy use, STEM, financial literacy, health and nutrition and environmental literacy, among others. Originally focused on delivering its programs via live theatre, NTC is now an educational content provider whose repertoire includes print curriculum, digital classroom games and multi-platform educational media. We have developed the art of teaching through educational theatre into a science of its own, and are currently the largest in-school touring educational program in the world. www.nationaltheatre.com

About Edison International
Edison International (NYSE:EIX), through its subsidiaries, is a generator and distributor of electric power and an investor in infrastructure and energy assets, including renewable energy. Headquartered in Rosemead, Calif., Edison International is the parent company of Southern California Edison.

Edison International’s support of charitable causes is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders. The company’s community donations are part of its commitment as a leading corporate citizen. Southern California Edison (SCE) customers’ utility bill payments do not fund company donations.