SunPower awarded schools in four California school districts a total of $85,000 in grants to support the implementation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula for students.
The grants were facilitated in partnership with Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of K-12 STEM programs.
After successful completion of a competitive application process, school districts receiving the awards include Antioch, Compton, Tustin and West Contra Costa Unified. Schools in each district will offer PLTW programs in which students engage in open-ended problem solving, learn and apply the engineering design process, and develop vital skills such as teamwork, communication and critical thinking.
In addition to funding these grants, which complement the state department of education’s Linked Learning initiatives, SunPower works with Project Lead The Way to incorporate solar energy curricula into the program, bringing technology into classrooms and introducing students to engineering concepts that better prepare them for the future.
Antioch Unified’s grant, which will help provide STEM education to over 600 students at Orchard Park School in Oakley, will create an opportunity to deliver a project-based, world-class K-12 curriculum that will help its students develop the skills needed to succeed in college and beyond.
In addition to working with Project Lead The Way to provide school-year grants, SunPower also offers the SunPower Solar Academy, an intensive summer program, to school districts across the state. In 2013, approximately 250 students from ten school districts participated in the week-long program, which immerses participants in a solar-focused STEM curriculum.
SunPower is a leader in delivering energy solutions to California’s academic institutions. The company is providing, or has provided, a total of 36.1 megawatts of on-site solar power systems at 92 California K-12 public schools.
Tell Us What You Think!