Peace Wapiti Academy (PWA) and Hythe Regional School (HRS) have each been awarded a grant through Inside Education’s A+ for Energy program. The grant program is open to all K-12 schools across Alberta and awards schools with up to $5,000. Grant funds are used to pursue projects that will enhance student understanding of Canada’s energy landscape including energy efficiency, conservation and the future.
Peace Wapiti Academy has been awarded $1,500 for its PWA Bike Program project. The funding will help the school open a community bike shop where members of the community can get their bikes repaired and maintained at no cost. The project will support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and waste by reclaiming bikes and bike parts that would otherwise end up in the landfill.
Hythe Regional School has been awarded the maximum amount of $5,000 for its Building the Future: One ‘Light’ Step at a Time project. As part of the project, students will track electricity generation from solar panels over the course of the year to determine what small changes can be made to reduce energy consumption. HRS students will create presentations and mini projects involving solar power to share their learning with younger students at the school.
Additionally, the lead teachers from each school, Holly Gould and Debbie Harris of HRS and Matthew Vavrek and Julian Camsell of PWA, have been awarded full scholarships to attend a two-day professional development program and celebration dinner in August.
Mrs. Gould says the staff at HRS are thrilled to have the opportunity to work on their project. “We are really excited about our successful application and the implications it will have next year and looking into the future. Both for student learning and for renewable energy practices in our local area. We are extremely appreciative.” She says it is wonderful to see opportunities like the A+ for Energy program come to rural schools.
Inside Education’s A+ for Energy program, funded in partnership with BP Canada, TC Energy, Cenovus, and Pembina Pipeline, is now in its 18th year and has awarded nearly $5 million in funding to support energy education in Alberta schools.