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We Share Solar

We combine solar energy education with real-world purpose to foster students’ interest in STEM and inspire them to be global changemakers.

We Share Solar teachers lead students in building a 12-volt DC stand-alone solar system, the We Share Solar® Suitcase. Students learn about global energy poverty, basic electricity, solar energy, and engineering. A portion of the Solar Suitcases from classrooms go to a school or community center in an energy-poor region of the world, remaining systems are retained for ongoing education.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

2013

Established

22.7K

Children

5

Countries
Target group
Teachers
Updated
May 2020

About the innovation

We Share Solar

We Share Solar empowers students to be global changemakers. By combining solar energy and engineering education with real-world applicability, trained teachers cultivate students’ interest in STEM subjects and inspire them to meet an immediate need in the developing world.

Our Teachers

Teachers learn to teach our engaging curriculum in our two-day workshops. These trained teachers then lead their students in building our 12-volt DC stand-alone solar system, the We Share Solar® Suitcase. Although targeted at high school science teachers, the program can be adapted for use in interdisciplinary courses as well as in middle school and college settings.

Our Students

As students build, they learn about global energy poverty, basic electricity, solar energy, and engineering. Students donate some of their classroom’s We Share Solar suitcases to a school or community center in an energy-poor region of the world. The remaining systems are retained for ongoing education.

Our Global Service

We Share Solar works with partners in target countries to select energy poor schools and community centers as placement sites. Our partners conduct solar installations and provide training to Solar Suitcase users. These global partners share stories and photos from beneficiaries with the student builders so that students can see the full impact of their work.

Our Partners

We Share Solar is funded by corporations and foundations who value STEM education, community engagement, and global citizenship.

Media

We Share Solar: Lighting a School for Deaf Children in Kenya
This short video that illustrates the importance of light for children who rely on sign language to communicate. Our installation of five Solar Suitcases at Kakamega School for the Deaf in May 2016 provided the boarding school with lighting for their dorms, classrooms, latrine, dining room/ kitchen, and outside security. We checked back with the school in March 2017 and they reported that all systems are still working well and has had a huge impact on the ability of students and teachers to continue being productive and safe once the sun sets.
Students build Solar Suitcases during hands-on We Share Solar, Wells Fargo STEM workshop at AISES National Conference
Attendees at the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) 2019 National Conference experienced a unique We Share Solar® STEM workshop funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation. We Share Solar is a national program that empowers students to be global changemakers by combining solar energy and engineering education with real-world application. Thanks to this collaboration, high school students from tribal lands built 10 portable 12-volt DC We Share Solar® Suitcases that will bring mobile electricity to schools and colleges in their home communities.Read full press release here.
Minneapolis Students Build We Share Solar Suitcases to Provide Light to Students in Kenya
A class project at Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis is empowering students to make a difference on the other side of the globe. The project is led by We Share Solar trained teacher, Lars Peterson.Read full article here.

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