FPL selects nine area teachers to receive grants for renewable energy education projects
Florida Power & Light Company recently announced that nine teachers in Lee and Collier Counties are recipients of its 2010 Renewable Energy Teacher Grants totaling $6,500. Additionally, FPL is now accepting applications, due by Oct. 15, for 2011 grants.
FPL is providing a total of $40,500 to 47 teachers at public, private and charter schools in FPL’s 35-county service territory to fund renewable energy classroom projects. The winning projects are designed to help teach school children about renewable energy and adhere to the Florida State Board of Education’s Sunshine State Standards.
“Renewable energy is a critical component of Florida’s future, and it’s vital that the next generation understands the science behind new technologies such as solar power,” said Charlotte Miller, FPL’s external affairs manager for Lee County. “We commend these teachers for taking the initiative to create dynamic, inspiring projects that will enhance the science curriculum in their classrooms.”
The winning teachers, schools and projects in Lee and Collier Counties are:
– Barbara Romano, kindergarten. Colonial Elementary School, Fort Myers. Students will conduct hands-on experiments to learn about water as an alternative energy source in “Water, Water, Everywhere!”
– Betsy West, grade one. Colonial Elementary School, Fort Myers.
In “From Seed to Plant: Watching Solar and Wind Energy in Action,” students will plant flowers on campus and learn how they are affected by renewable energy sources.
– Christine Sieger, grade two. Colonial Elementary School, Fort Myers. Students will measure wind speed and direction through “There is Wind (Energy) in the Weather.”
– Debra Lee, grade three. Colonial Elementary School, Fort Myers.
In “Powering Our World Through Renewable Energy,” students will use monitors to measure energy sources and their unique characteristics.
– Heather Newborn and Justin Speiser, grade three. Colonial Elementary School, Fort Myers. In “Solar Energy Drives Our World,” students will build cars powered by the sun and measure the gain or loss of energy.
– Julie Storms, grade five. Colonial Elementary School, Fort Myers. Students will discover “Solar Energy is Cool!” through a series of investigations and research methods.
– Michelle Campbell, grade four. Colonial Elementary School, Fort Myers. In “Solar Energy is Really Cool,” students learn how solar energy can power cars, float balloons and increase temperature.
– Pam Schroeder, grades 3-5. Spring Creek Elementary, Bonita Springs. “The Panther Alternative Energy Learning Center” will include interactive displays of solar, wind and water.
– Anna Haag, grades 6-8. Trafalgar Middle School, Cape Coral.
Students will design solar ovens and test them during a “Solar Powered Food Festival.”
– Vacharee Howard, grades 9-12. PACE Center for Girls, Immokalee. “The Solar Oven Project” allows students to explore solar energy as a way to cook their food as well as construct the solar ovens.
Award recipients were selected by the National Education Energy Development project, a non-profit organization working with energy companies and agencies to bring balanced energy curriculum and training to the nation’s classrooms.
NEED Executive Director Mary Spruill said, “Energy is at the forefront of discussions all over the country and the world today. These projects will expand learning opportunities to students in the Sunshine State, where renewable energy is more important than ever before.”
The awards range from $500 to $2,500 per project, based on the proposed budget and number of students that will benefit. The grants come from the NextEra Energy Foundation, which is funded by shareholders of Florida Power & Light’s parent company, NextEra Energy, Inc.
Projects were judged according to stated goals, energy content, creativity and plans for budget and evaluation. Completed projects may be featured on FPL’s Solar Station website at www.FPL.com/solarstations. The website serves as a resource for other teachers around the state.
Deadline approaching for 2011 grants
To apply for the 2011 grants, interested teachers must fill out an application available at www.FPL.com/solarstations. Completed applications should be e-mailed to teacher.grants@FPL.com no later than Oct. 15, 2010.
Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves approximately 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with more than 10,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy efficiency programs among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.