Prepare Students for Tomorrow's Green Economy
Get your students ready for the clean energy economy of the future! GRID Alternatives’ Solar Futures Program provides real-world applications for STEM education, partnering with high schools and youth programs to educate students on renewable energy and sustainability. Solar Futures provides both classroom and hands-on solar education to K-14 students, with a focus on high school juniors and seniors. The Solar Futures program is supported by SunPower, and leverages GRID Alternatives’ hands-on solar installation model to inspire the next generation of solar leaders. Learn more about GRID’s Solar Futures Program.
Get Your School Involved
The Solar Futures program in California’s North Valley region has worked with 10 schools and districts in Sacramento, Yolo, and Placer counties to provide a variety of curricula options for students from 4th grade to recent high school graduates.
The Sacramento County Solar Futures Initiative, sponsored in part by the Sacramento County Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) program, is bringing tangible STEM education projects and career pathways to Sacramento schools.
The North Valley Solar Futures program offerings include elementary school workshops, high school service learning programs, and hands-on opportunities to participate in real-life solar installations within the students' communities through GRID’s Solar Affordable Housing program.
Elementary School Workshops
Elementary School Workshops expose youth in grades K-8 to energy concepts, educate on energy efficiency and conservation, and introduce solar energy with engaging props and games.
Workshops include interactive activities and leave each classroom with a working model and take-home resources for students.
High School Service Learning
GRID Alternatives North Valley's high school programming provides juniors and seniors with exposure to the technical aspects of photovoltaic system design and installation and career pathways.
This program is conducted over three days, culminating in a service-learning field trip where students work alongside our professional design and installation team to complete a working solar electric system for a family impacted by low-income in their community.
Solar Summer Break
Summer Solar Break is a 40-hour internship intensive for a team of up to 10 high school students.
This week-long program consists of a solar 101 workshop, two service learning installations, an industry-relevant tour, a solar cooking lab, and a career pathways workshop.
Contact Masud Kiburi-Cunningham at mkiburicunningham@gridalternatives.org for more information on GRID's Solar Futures program in the North Valley region and the 2018 schedule or to schedule your Solar Futures experience.
More Resources
Want to educate and inspire young students? The Solar Futures K-8 Toolkit contains resources for giving presentations to young students about solar and renewable energy, solar jobs, and energy conservation. These resources are designed to support anyone who wishes to visit a classroom and share their enthusiasm for renewable energy. Get the toolkit now!