GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic kicked-off our Solar Futures program this month at Phelps Architecture, Construction, and Engineering High School. Solar Futures is a national GRID program working to provide opportunities to K-14 students to learn more about solar power and illuminate career pathways in the booming solar industry.
Our Outreach, Workforce, and Construction staff joined forces to educate a group of 11th and 12th graders about GRID Alternatives’ mission, the client outreach process, and how solar works. The presentation ended with a mock installation where the students were able to take part in the solar installation process in their classroom.
For many of these students, this was their first in-depth introduction to solar. Parker, a Senior at Phelps High School, is waiting to hear back from colleges to attend in the fall, where he wants to study Mechanical Engineering. “I’ve always wondered how solar panels are installed. This hands-on stuff is my passion. This is something new - learning about solar panels. This is a tool I can use.”
The GRID staff could see that these students, who are learning construction and engineering as a focus in their classes, responded strongly to the hands-on training. “I had a blast facilitating a mock install with these students. They jumped right in and were even able to figure out some parts of the assembly on their own without me telling them first,” said Dave Johnson, a SolarCorps Construction Fellow at GRID Alternatives.
This is the first of many Solar Future presentations. “We are looking forward to expanding the Solar Futures program in the Mid-Atlantic region,” says Alexis Harvey, GRID’s SolarCorps Volunteer Fellow. “This program is a great way to educate students about opportunities that are out there. We’ve already had one student from Phelps High School reach out to GRID about our job training program.”
So far, the Mid-Atlantic office has introduced Solar Futures to three DC schools and are looking to expand it to more. We know all it takes is one student’s life to be positively affected by this program to make it a success. Help support initiatives like this!