“The teachers had so much fun doing it [that] they didn’t want to stop,” Wheeler said. “I tried it out on third graders to see if the labs would work for elementary, and the kids had a blast with it. The same labs that we were able to do as teachers, little third graders had so much fun with—as well as secondary kids, so they can be used at any level.”
While the panels are not yet installed at Wheeler’s school, she spoke to the importance of the program itself.
“I think [students] look at solar panels or windmills as futuristic or something that doesn’t apply to them,” Wheeler said. “I think by actually bringing them into the schools and letting them have access to it, that it’s not so far removed anymore. What they realized is that it’s technology for them today.”
Munson agreed that the real-world application contributes to the enjoyment of the curriculum.
For more on STEM education:
Solving the STEM Education Crisis
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“I remember thinking to myself [when I was in school], ‘Why do I need to know the area under a curve?’ I couldn’t figure out why it had any relevance at all,” Munson recalled. “[Solar for Schools] really can tie a subject like calculus, which, in my opinion, made no sense at all when I was in school, to an applicable situation you’ll use in the world.”
Wheeler said the program’s hands-on activities keep students’ interest in the lessons.
“You’re creating a life-long learner, not someone who’s just quickly memorizing facts so they can do well on the test, but someone who has experiences with it,” she said.
She said she hopes that students will take their learning home with them in order to increase community use of alternative energy sources.
Meanwhile, Munson said the U.S. economy needs engineers who know how to increase energy efficiency.
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