Our Education Program Manager Jaimi DeFeo stayed pretty busy this past school year. As she prepares for the next school cycle, she reflects on all that we’ve accomplished with our education program.

Eden has made some great strides in education outreach in the 2020-2021 school year. The best part was meeting so many wonderful teachers, principals, guidance counselors, and students that made it all possible and worthwhile.

As high school students were getting ready to go off to college, we were reviewing applications that resulted in 6 students receiving a total of $11,000 to help make their college dreams come true. They all chose STEM careers and have promising futures as science, technology, and engineering majors.

We put together and delivered kits to 28 schools that are within the school districts of our community solar farms. The solar kits engaged students in circuitry and solar activities, and the biodiversity kits allowed students to get outside and explore nature through planting seeds, observing insects, and identifying plants.

To help them get started, we went out to one of our community solar farm sites and made our first film on biodiversity. We got expertise from an ecologist on topics of soil, insects, and plants, and he shared how he got started on his career path. This is also useful for future students to watch before heading out and making their own discoveries on biodiversity.

In addition, we offered webinars that included talks and activities on renewable energy, climate change, and carbon footprints, and even partnered with a beekeeper to offer students a webinar on the intricate life of bees. Other topics included how and why solar farms are created, and this coming school year we will be making our second film showing the construction of a community solar farm from beginning to end.

This month we will be working with professionals in the solar industry to talk about their careers, how they got started and what they love about their jobs. Look for their interviews on our website this fall.

Our first Power of the Sun poster contest winner celebrated with a pizza party for her classroom last year and we will do it again this year. Now that everyone is back in the classroom, we can get back to seeing students and teachers in person and plan field trips to our sites and workshops in the classroom. We will still offer all those great programs from last year—but now have even more. Is your school in one of our host communities? Book an activity for your class today!