Two Houghton Middle School Students Win the UPPCO/NEF National rEV Challenge for Second Time Under Same Teacher

For the second time, a student in Sarah Geborkoff’s class at Houghton Middle School has won a national electric vehicle education competition—and this year, two students, Seda Jenson and Audrey Konkel, earned top honors together. Their winning video placed first in the national rEV Challenge, a student competition that awards an electric bike valued at up to $2,000 to both the winning student and their teacher. Students create 30-45 second videos that should “reveal the benefits and future of EVs” as they promote EV awareness and what they learned during the program.

Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO), in partnership with the National Energy Foundation (NEF), brings the rEV Program to local schools. rEV is an engaging, interactive curriculum that introduces high school–aged students to electric vehicles, natural resources, electrical generation, smart technology, economics, and energy history. The program’s goal is to educate households about EVs and help accelerate market transformation. UPPCO had over 600 students across our Upper Peninsula service area participate in the rEV Program this year.

Teachers and students receive access to interactive games, e learning modules, energy calculators, a Spotify playlist, and a wide range of EV resources. The rEV Challenge is a highlight of the program, giving students the chance to apply what they’ve learned in a creative, real world way.

In spring 2022, Geborkoff celebrated both the first place and second place national rEV Challenge winners from her classroom. Fast forward to 2026, and she has repeated that remarkable achievement—this time with two first-place winners . This video-based competition gives students a chance to show what they have learned through the rEV program. All submissions are reviewed and scored by NEF team members, and a national winner is selected to receive an e-bike valued at $2,000! In the interest of supporting our local economy, and an all-around epic bike shop, the e-bikes for this year’s winners were purchased from Rhythm Bike Shop of Houghton.

“It was pretty exciting having a student who won a few years ago and receiving a bike along with the student,” Geborkoff shared. “The girls worked on the video together this year, but it could be submitted by just one student, so it only made sense to let them both win bikes.” The bike typically awarded to the teacher of the first place winner was instead given to the second student who co created the video—an exception, as there are usually not two student winners.

A key component of the rEV curriculum is helping students understand the fuel mix in their region. By learning how electricity is generated locally, students can make more informed, energy aware decisions—especially when imagining themselves as future EV drivers. “Kids are curious anyway, and we really want their curiosity to be piqued by this experience. We want them to be able to picture themselves in an electric vehicle,” said Elissa Richards, NEF president.

UPPCO’s Manager of Energy Solutions, Andrew McNeally, echoed that pride. “We are a proud supporter of NEF rEV education from the program’s pilot in 2021 to the multiple national rEV Challenge winners,” he said. “It brings us great joy to see winners from our area—especially since this is a national competition with over 24,000 participants this year.” McNeally also notes that UPPCO further supports electric vehicle education by owning a Chevy Blazer EV and taking it to schools and parades so students who may not have yet seen an electric vehicle can get a closer look.

NEF and UPPCO continue to work together to educate the next generation about the full spectrum of energy production so students feel empowered to shape its future. Kids can be real champions and have an impact on moving this market transformation forward—they play an important role in accelerating the adoption of new technologies.

UPPCO was the first and only Michigan utility to participate in the program when it launched in 2021. Today, utilities and students across Michigan, Ohio, New Mexico, and Washington take part. As the program continues to grow, so does student enthusiasm. “EVs are more than transportation—they’re really part of how we’ll use energy in the future, and kids are excited about that,” added Janet Hatch, NEF’s Vice President of Operations.

You can learn more about the rEV Progam and rEV Challenge at reved.org.

Learn about electric vehicles by watching this year’s rEV Challenge winning video!