Brightergy and nonprofit Women in Solar Energy have partnered to develop an interactive energy curriculum and community, KidSun™
KANSAS CITY, MO. / BOSTON, MA. MARCH 09, 2016 –
Kansas City-based energy company Brightergy and global nonprofit, Women in Solar Energy (WISE), are announcing their partnership to develop KidSun™. KidSun™ will be an energy education program built for students and teachers to interact and engage in conversations about energy in real-life terms. SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association) predicts that by the end of 2016, there will be enough solar energy in the U.S. to power 8 million homes—its continued growth means it is already a real part of students’ futures.
“Energy can be complicated—to teach and to understand,” says Education Program Manager at Brightergy, Ali Reynolds. “As a former teacher, I understand the struggle to get kids excited about learning about energy, and to find a way to teach it that is both memorable and relatable. We see KidSun™ as a way to prepare our students for a world where everyone is energy literate. It’s an inclusive and approachable community that gives students and teachers the tools and the language to connect about energy and solving our global energy issues.”
KidSun™ lessons will be aligned with national standards and range from hands-on activities—such as a lesson where students pass popcorn from one end of a room to another to learn about energy efficiency—to online analysis of real solar-energy data, often from their own schools. Reynolds herself is developing the curriculum and the resources, and will act as support for teachers and students who use it, with additional support from WISE, whose members have experience educating teachers, in K-12 curriculum development, and in advising national consortium members.
“We are excited to be working with Brightergy to bring KidSun™ to life—giving our organizations the opportunity to build a comprehensive education program that connects students and teachers through real-life examples developed by experienced educators and energy professionals,” Kristen Nicole, WISE Executive Director.
Brightergy and WISE expect to launch the KidSun™ program in full by the end of the 2016 school year. You can follow along with their progress on Twitter (@KidSunEducation), Facebook (KidSun Education), and Instagram (KidSunEducation).
ABOUT BRIGHTERGY
In our world where energy is not only an operating cost, but a liability as well, Brightergy drives a movement to reimagine energy. The company pairs innovative solutions with proprietary financing that empower businesses, schools, cities, and nonprofits to take control of their energy, turn a liability into an asset, and ultimately save both dollars and emissions.
They do this by addressing three key areas that directly impact energy costs: consumption, generation, and supply. Brightergy has completed more than 1200 projects for 600+ clients. With headquarters in Kansas City, the company has offices in St. Louis and Boston and coverage across the United States. Their strategic alliance partner is global engineering company Black & Veatch. To learn more about Brightergy, visit https://brightergy.com.
ABOUT WISE
Women in Solar Energy (WISE) is the solar industry’s only 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organization singularly focused on the recruitment, advancement and retention of women in the solar energy industry. WISE accomplishes this through core programs focused on workforce development, mentorship, networking events, as well as SheSpeaks Solar, its initiative to increase speaking opportunities for women at solar industry trade shows. For more information, please visit http://www.solwomen.org.