Throughout its history, Liberty Lake-based Itron Inc. has encouraged utilities to invest in automated meter-reading equipment and other technologies that improve efficiency and conservation. 

Now, the company also is encouraging students to invest in STEM education. 

In May, Itron launched a new interactive science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) curriculum. The course is accessible through a mobile application called Resourcefulness: An Introduction to the Energy-Water Nexus. 

Sharelynn Moore, Itron’s vice president of global marketing and public affairs, says that as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, it funded the development of the app so that it could be made available free of charge.  

 “We’ve seen that a growing skills gap exists in STEM-related fields, so we wanted to help inspire students to pursue careers in those areas,” says Moore. “This application doesn’t generate any revenue for us. Instead, we see it as an investment in STEM education, and the education of our community on how to better use energy and water resources.”

Moore says development of the application has been a two-year process, starting with planning and sharing ideas and most recently, coordinating the product’s launch.

The application uses a combination of interactive games and textbook content to explain the close relationship, or nexus between water and energy. 

Moore says all forms of energy require some input of water, including the creation of electricity, oil, and natural gas. Likewise, energy is tied to water usage, as it is needed to extract, purify, deliver, heat or cool, treat and dispose of water and wastewater. 

The Resourcefulness app was developed by University of Texas professor Michael E. Webber, who Itron describes as an expert on the water-energy nexus, and Disco Learning Media, an Austin, Texas-based creative agency and educational consulting firm. 

 “Energy use and water use are not independent issues,” she says. “They are closely related, working hand in hand to create quality of life.” 

The Resourcefulness curriculum was created to match college and career readiness, or common core, standards, including next-generation science standards, advanced placement environmental science, and international baccalaureate environmental systems and societies.

Instructors can either incorporate the app as a resource in environmental science courses or integrate the learning content directly through exercises and case studies contained within the teachers’ guide.

“Currently, we’re in discussions with various school districts, as to how this material can be used in classrooms and when might be best to implement it,” says Moore. “None have fully committed yet, but we’re seeing a lot of interest.” 

The application can be downloaded for free from both the Apple app store and the Google Play store, for iOS and Android phones and tablet devices. Working with its community partners, Itron’s goal is to make the app-based curriculum available to at least 10,000 students nationally this year, with plans to expand globally in 2017.  

Moore says a desktop computer version of the app is expected to be available in another month or two, along with additional teacher materials. 

Moore says that in addition to its use in the classroom, the application might prove useful as a tool for companies and nonprofit organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America, Boys & Girls Club, and the Lands Council.

“Lessons can be scaled down to day-long events or even hour-long presentations,” she says. “We’ve also considered it as a possible tool for onboard training of our own employees, so they too can benefit from the information explored in the app.” 

Located at 2111 N. Molter Road in Liberty Lake, Itron’s 200,000-square-foot headquarters holds about 500 employees. With a total of 70 core locations worldwide, employing nearly 8,000 people, Moore says the company’s next goal is to translate the content of Resourcefulness into other languages. 

 In addition to sponsoring the Resourcefulness app, Itron created its own app called the Itron Resourcefulness Index, which can also be downloaded for free. 

The Itron Resourcefulness Index pulls data from three years’ worth of surveys of 1,052 consumers, 988 utility executives in 16 countries. It then uses that information to showcase industry trends and consumer engagement, and provide a guideline for energy and water resources management. 

“It works well to download the two apps in tandem,” says Moore. “Once you’ve gained an understanding of the water and energy nexus from Resourcefulness, you can then use Itron’s Resourcefulness Index to see examples of the trends in data we’ve collected.”

Moore says besides encouraging interest in STEM careers and educating the community, the company hopes the two apps will help establish Itron’s role as a leader in the development of technology that tracks and disseminates data about energy and water usage. 

“We’ve begun investing in what’s called the IoT platform, or Internet of Things,” she says.

 The Internet of Things is a proposed development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data.

“Going forward, we want to continue creating these smart devices and applications that can analyze data in real time, as well as interact and communicate with one another,” she says. “I think that is the future toward which we are headed.”

Earlier this year, Itron said its annual report filing would be delayed while it reviewed and revised some of its revenue figures. Due to this ongoing review, the company hasn’t yet released results for the first quarter of 2016. 

Itron announced two weeks ago that it had belatedly filed its 2015 annual report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and also had revised financial statements for 2013 and 2014. It had informed the SEC earlier this year that its annual report filing would be delayed while it reviewed and revised some of its revenue data.

In the June 30 filing, it reported total net income of $12.7 million for 2015, down $12.1 million from preliminary net income reported in February, and revenues of $1.88 billion, up $5.7 million from an earlier reported preliminary figure. 

The company said it’s continuing to finalize adjustments to its revenue recognition accounting for certain software and maintenance contracts and expects to file its 10-Q financial report for the 2015 first quarter “as soon as practicable.”

Related to the late filings, Itron said in late May that the Nasdaq stock exchange had approved its request for an extension to Sept. 12 to regain listing compliance. The company said it also had obtained waivers from its creditors that extend the due dates to Sept. 12 for annual audited financial statements and quarterly unaudited financial statements.