My students need real solar panels so they can learn about solar energy with hands-on projects that they can configure and test to power actual devices.
Help us go green! Our architecture classes want to go beyond the textbook studies of clean energy. They want to work with actual tools to find new ways to make things work. These solar panels can be used over and over again to teach generations of students how to use the power of the sun.
Our high school just launched a new STEM Engineering program.
This new program has attracted both college-bound future engineers and typically under-performing students who long for real-world experiences in the classroom. We have seen students who routinely skip classes hang around after school to get more chances to actually design and build. STEM is making learning fun by making it real.
We can really make a difference in these students' lives. Many are candidates for 2-year technical programs at our local community college and would be the first in their families to attend college. At the same time, we are paving the way for motivated students to successfully complete competitive 4-year engineering programs. Our senior Capstone projects include internships with leading industry professionals.
My Project
This solar panel kit includes everything our students need to discover the power of the sun. The kit includes a 100W solar panel, a charge controller, extension cables, and battery cables to allow students to store solar energy for a variety of projects and applications. Students will need to design and create their own mount by calculating the position and angles of the sun and measuring annual irradiance. The same kit can be redesigned and reused over and over again. Additional panels can be added to create a solar array. High school students get excited about working with a real, full-sized module. They want to build something that will really be used, not just a toy car.
We are preparing our students for a world we cannot yet fathom.
We feel it is vital to add education about clean energy to our traditional engineering and architecture curriculum. The reason why hands-on experimentation is so important is that we can no longer simply instruct our students how to do things based on historical practices. We must teach them to try out new things and develop new ideas. Thanks for helping us power our future through empowering our youth.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Wilder and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.