CERTs Co-director, Joel Haskard, spoke with Science Instructor and Go Green Club Coach, Kate Schoonover, to learn more about the exciting endeavor the Go Green Club is currently undertaking. Students at Austin High School in Southeastern Minnesota are using crowd-funding to help them get solar on their school. The Go Green Club is halfway to their goal of $10,000, and they need your help!
Joel Haskard: Tell us a little bit about the Austin High School Go Green Club.
Kate Schoonover: The Go Green Club is comprised of students who are working to make Austin High School a more environmentally-friendly place. In previous years, we have set up recycling programs for paper, plastic and aluminum cans, and cells phones. We have also helped put a green roof on the Annex (a smaller building next to the high school where classes that teach engineering, woodshop, music, etc are held). This year, our goal is to install solar panels near the green roof. We have continued the recycling program and help with community projects like labeling storm drains and planting prairie grass.
Joel Haskard: It sounds like you have had a really nice partnership with your local utility.
Kate Schoonover: Austin Utilities has done an amazing job of getting us connected with community events, fundraising ideas, and grant opportunities. They donated 500 CFL light bulbs for us to sell and told us to keep whatever money we could raise, and they allowed us to collect donations at their community appliance recycling event where we raised over $3,000. Finally, they are willing to give us a rebate if we install the solar panels this year. We greatly appreciated all they have done to help us with this project!
Joel Haskard: What has been the best part of being the Go Green Club coach?
Kate Schoonover: I’ve really enjoyed meeting the members of the Go Green Club. They’re a really interesting group of kids that have a lot of different strengths and interests. I enjoy meeting with them every week and working with them on community projects outside of school. I have also learned a great deal about clean energy/renewable resources and the importance of making changes so we can be more sustainable.
Joel Haskard: As solar prices continue to fall, it sounds like you are still getting bids for the installer and manufacturer and the size of the solar photovoltaic system. True?
Kate Schoonover: True
Joel Haskard: Any last message for folks interested in supporting you and your students?
Kate Schoonover: Thank you to everyone that has helped us with this project. It has been a great learning experience for the students and myself. Not only have students learned how renewable energy works, but they now understand the impact humans have on our environment. All members of the Go Green Club have learned the importance of being responsible adults in a world with decreasing resources and increasing demands. We are halfway to our goal of $10,000. Any help, even as little as $10 will help us reach our goal. We have 39 days left, and we need your help to reach our goal.
It will be a lot of fun for our students to monitor how much energy is produced by the solar panels (especially since they’ll be using computers that are being partially powered by the solar panels)! Go green for a cause, pick up your CFL’s today!
Check out the Go Green Club’s CFL fundraiser video and website>>
