Greentech Lead America: Florida Power & Light Company
(FPL) has awarded 37 teachers in Florida a combined $39,000 in grants as part
of FPL’s 2012 Renewable Energy Teacher Grant program. The grants are aimed to
fund classroom projects to teach students about renewable energy sources and
uses.
“FPL’s commitment to clean energy includes a
commitment to help educate our children about its role in our everyday lives.
We’re proud to join forces with Florida’s teachers to create innovative and
inspiring ways for students to learn about renewable energy sources and
applications, thereby preparing them to lead the way to a cleaner future,”
said Pamela Rauch, vice president of development and external affairs for FPL.
The grant will encourage students to involve in projects
such as designing and racing solar-powered cars, building solar-powered water
heaters, and constructing a wind turbine to power a radio tower for broadcasted
school announcements. The awards are ranging from $500 to $3,000. The program
gives children critically needed opportunities to gain practical knowledge of
today’s and tomorrow’s environmentally sustainable energy sources.
All projects meet the Florida State Board of Education’s
Sunshine State Standards, and were judged and selected according to stated
goals, energy content, creativity, and plans for budget and evaluation.
FPL’s Renewable Energy Teacher Grant Program has awarded
more than $122,000 for 84 teacher projects across FPL’s 35-county service
territory to date. NextEra Energy Foundation, which is funded by shareholders
of FPL’s parent company, NextEra Energy, is funding these grants.
Recipients are selected by the National Education Energy
Development project (NEED), a non-profit organization working with energy
companies and agencies to bring balanced energy curriculum and training to the
nation’s classrooms.
“As school budgets for science and technology shrink
even as the need for education in those fields grows, we are proud to partner
with FPL to fill the gap,” said Mary Spruill, executive director, NEED.
Beyond the teacher projects, FPL has installed Next
Generation Solar Energy Station arrays at 14 educational facilities across
Florida and built three large-scale solar power plants to supply power to its
customers.