Clean energy, environmental justice and solar equity nonprofit organizations and advocates are sparking a national conversation about solar through the eighth annual Solar Education Week. Taking place from April 15-22, the week leading up to Earth Day features a range of events across the country along with a campaign to spread clean energy education nationwide.
Organized by RE-volv, the initiative is a collaboration of solar and equity advocates, including the American Solar Energy Society, Climate + Energy Project, Climate Music Project, GRID Alternatives, The Redford Center, the Sierra Club’s Ready For 100 Campaign, Solar Schoolhouse, Solar United Neighbors, The Climate Initiative and Vote Solar.
Solar Education Week aims to deepen the public’s understanding of the potential challenges around solar, with a focus on clean energy access for all and a just transition to a clean energy economy. It is designed to empower communities with tangible steps to shift to clean energy. Dozens of events are planned for Solar Education Week, including movie screenings, a virtual solar gathering, a virtual solar yoga event and a number of solar education events taking place on college campuses across the country.
“Now more than ever Americans are looking to learn more about clean energy and climate change solutions and ways they can get involved,” said Andreas Karelas, RE-volv’s founder and executive director. “Solar Education Week is an opportunity for solar energy advocates to raise awareness about solar energy in their communities around the country.”
Earth Day, cited as the birth of the modern environmentalist movement, is a celebration that aims to focus our collective attention on sustainability and protecting the environment. Solar Education Week is a complementary initiative that aims to raise awareness specifically around equitable clean energy and climate solutions, particularly solar energy.
Solar Education Week is just one of RE-volv’s efforts to empower communities across the United States to tap into the benefits of solar. RE-volv also runs the Solar Ambassador Program, a yearlong fellowship where college students and community members help bring solar energy to a community-serving nonprofit in their community. Through the Fellowship, Solar Ambassadors learn about solar energy, policy, technology and finance, communications, and community engagement while gaining practical career experience in clean energy and project management to create real climate solutions in their community. Nearly 400 students from 30 universities have participated in the program, and the 10 schools participating in the program this year will be hosting Solar Education Week events.
During Solar Education Week, community members can learn about solar at virtual and in-person events, by checking out Solar Ed Week articles that will be posted daily, and by following #SolarEdWeek on social media to learn more about solar energy.
Learn more about Solar Education Week and featured events at solaredweek.org.
News item from RE-volv
