Solar Education Training & Support
Let’s talk about using energy dashboards in the classroom! Whether or not your school has a renewable energy installation, our goal is to support your use of energy data and dashboards with your learners. In particular, solar PV generation dashboards are a powerful way to bring the topic of renewable energy to life in the classroom and connect to concepts of spatial thinking, scientific inquiry, and data literacy.
Solar Dashboard Lesson Series
KEEP is excited to share the full series of solar dashboard lessons created for Wisconsin educators and students!
Instructional Support
Introduction to Solar Dashboards as a Teaching Tool
Learn about how using solar energy data and dashboards in the classroom can meet your teaching goals. Whether your K-12 school has a solar array or not, solar PV generation dashboards are a powerful way to bring the topic of renewable energy to life in the classroom and connect to concepts of spatial thinking, scientific inquiry, and data literacy.
Customized Dashboard Training: Invite KEEP staff to collaborate one-on-one or as part of a department or team meeting for customized dashboard training or curriculum planning.
Solar Dashboard Navigation Tutorial
Learn how to how to access, navigate, and interpret information found in a typical solar PV generation dashboard.
Dive Deeper: Personalized Dashboard Navigation Tutorial. Request KEEP staff create a personalized training video or document using your dashboard for staff and/or students. Training includes how to access, navigate, and interpret dashboard features and data.
Solar Energy Potential: Dashboard
Technology as a Teaching Tool for Inquiry
This self-paced online course provides the educational framework and step-by-step guidance to integrate solar PV generation data and dashboards into your classroom. Take a deeper dive into the benefits of using solar dashboards, electricity generation data, and pre-made online maps to connect concepts of spatial thinking, scientific inquiry, and data literacy. Recommended for 6th-12th grade educators. Estimated time: 8 hours. Cost: $25.
Classroom Guest Speaker Presentation
Schedule KEEP to meet with your students. We can also suggest other energy, utility and solar experts for your classroom.
Solar Energy Lessons and Activities
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Lessons – Designed for high school, community college, and technical college use from our partners at CREATE.
Hands On Energy Kits – WCEE offers a variety of hands-on resources for educators. Explore the Kits page to request the classroom Energy Audit Kit, Pedal Power energy bike, Sun Oven and other tools that make learning about energy tangible and fun.
Connect to Place with Solar Energy: Outdoor and Indoor Activities and Lesson Sparks – Discover ideas and resources with KEEP for outdoor and indoors activities that connect learners to concepts of solar energy and their local place. Watch the video or View the Slideshow.
Solar Storytime for Pre-K – Follow along with KEEP as we read stories and create crafts about our friend the Sun. Featured books: Solar Power Comes to My Home by Susie Flann and Sun Song by Jean Marzollo.
Solar Energy Fact Sheets – Learn more about solar electricity and solar heating with KEEP’s energy fact sheets.
Solar Energy Lessons for K-12
Additional Mapping Opportunities
Mapped Collections of Solar in Wisconsin
KEEP helps maintain current maps and data of schools with installed renewable energy, as well as a database and map of Wisconsin schools with publicly accessible online solar dashboards, in collaboration with RENEW Wisconsin and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.
EPA EnviroAtlas Interactive Map
Human health and well-being are closely tied to the environment, which provides benefits such as clean water, clean air, and protection from natural hazards, also known as ecosystem goods and services. EnviroAtlas provides geospatial data, easy-to-use tools, and other resources related to ecosystem services, their chemical and non-chemical stressors, and human health.
ArcGIS for Schools
Every K-12 public, private, and home school, and youth-serving club is eligible to get the ArcGIS for Schools Bundle at no cost for instructional use. For additional assistance using ArcGIS in the classroom or acquiring the Schools Bundle contact:
Douglas Miskowiak, Senior GIS Education Specialist, UW-Stevens Point GIS Center,
dmiskowi@uwsp.edu.
Support for Green Teams and Schools
Green Teams Mini-Grants
KEEP offers mentorship and mini-grants to high school student teams starting or leading Green Teams that wish to reduce the carbon footprint of their school community. We understand each school will have a unique path towards sustainability and each team is on a different part of the journey. The first step is to connect with KEEP by attending a monthly “KEEPing Green” meeting or submitting the Mini-Grant Idea form.
Green & Healthy Schools Wisconsin
Green & Healthy Schools Wisconsin, led by the Wisconsin Departments of Public Instruction and Natural Resources, is a movement of schools, community partners, and state agencies working together to catalyze a culture of sustainability and wellness in all Wisconsin schools.
Solar on Schools
Solar on Schools, led by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), aims to help Wisconsin schools realize the financial, educational, and community benefits of going solar. The program provides a range of resources and funding to Wisconsin schools, assisting with and simplifying the solar project development process. With generous support from the Couillard Solar Foundation, the Solar on Schools grant provides public Wisconsin K-12 schools and colleges access to an in-kind module grant, valued up to $20,000.