The KidWind Project, the international leader in clean energy education, has opened registration for its virtual 2021 REcharge Academy. The flagship educator PD program will run virtually starting June 24, 2021 and go through September.
“In the past year, we’ve been finding ways to offer dynamic PD opportunities for educators as they navigate virtual learning. At this year’s REcharge Academy, we hope to bring all of our experience together for some great summer sessions,” said Michael Arquin, founder of KidWind. “Although we are disappointed we won’t be meeting in person, moving the academy online provides opportunities for educators all over the U.S. to explore renewable energy from the comfort of their homes.”
Now in its 14th year, REcharge Academy will have topic-specific courses designed to help educators teach about renewable energy during distance and hybrid learning. Participants will be required to attend the initial orientation class, “REcharge Academy Orientation, Energy Justice, Energy Basics & the Power Grid,” on June 24, 2021. Then over the summer, educators can attend any or all of the following classes:
· June 28, 2021: Wind 101 – Wind Basics, MacGyver Wind and Classroom Turbines
· July 1, 2021: Wind 201 – Siting, Offshore Wind, Advanced Gens, Blades & Gearboxes
· July 12, 2021: Solar 101 – Solar PV Projects, Solar Thermal Projects
· July 15, 2021: Solar 201 – Sitting Solar, Advanced Solar Projects
· August 13, 2021: Hydro & Marine Power 101
· August 20, 2021: EV, Batteries & Storage 101
· September 25, 2021: Microcontrollers & Renewable Energy Projects
Registered educators must attend the kick-off class, as well as at least three other scheduled classes in order to receive their REcharge Academy Certification.
The intense training blends lectures from experts with replicable hands-on K-12 lessons to give educators content, as well as context. The REcharge Academy combines materials from KidWind, REcharge Labs, WindWise, NEED, WhiteBox Learning, Vernier, and other materials found applicable and useful in the classroom. During the summer academy there will be additional one- to two-hour sessions, including virtual tours, guest speakers, and happy hours. The times and dates of these events will be announced in June.
More than 500 educators from all over the world have attended REcharge Academies and have impacted thousands of students and educators. Once educators complete the courses, they are considered a REcharge Instructor. Instructors may incorporate lessons and curriculum into their own classrooms, or they can work with local schools and districts to share resources and train other teachers in wind and solar energy education. Each year the network of instructors trains at least 1,000 educators and impacts 30,000 students through workshops and outreach events.
The fee for participating in the REcharge Academy is $800 and includes each educator receiving $400 in gear. Scholarships are also available for educators. Scholarships, which can be applied for within registration, offer partial or full tuition and are limited to a geographic region. This year, there are several scholarships available for educators in 19 states. These scholarships were made possible through generous contributions from Orsted, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and EDP Renewables.
For more information and to register for the 2021 REcharge Academy, visit: www.kidwind.org/challenge/events/recharge-academy.
About the KidWind Project:
The KidWind Project, an international leader in renewable energy education, has been working with educators and students to integrate renewable energy into classrooms for over 15 years. Since 2004, KidWind has held more than 800 training events for more than 50,000 teachers all over the world. For more information about our trainings, challenges and curricular materials, visit www.kidwind.org.
