K-12 Training and Educational Resources

Students for Climate Action (S4CA) - (S4CA) is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan climate action committee that mobilizes students to engage elected officials to act on climate and be a part of the solution by supporting climate policies and 100% renewable energy initiatives. Through education, public acts of engagement, and community involvement, the students have the power to have a voice for their future.

K-12 Energy Efficiency Student Toolkit - This guidebook is designed for K-12 students who want to jump-start or enhance their school’s energy management program. Students will learn how to:

• Benchmark and understand their school's energy use.
• Conduct an Energy Efficiency Treasure hunt to pinpoint opportunities for improvement.
• Encourage their school community to adopt energy-efficient habits.
• Observe and increase awareness of indoor environmental quality in their school.
• Measure cost reductions and finance energy-efficiency upgrades.
• Spread the word about their efforts.

New York Power Authority Environmental Justice Office - Resources for teachers, parents, and students, broken down by energy discipline and grade level (elementary, middle, high school). Teachers are able to download lesson plans, while students and parents can access reading materials and hands-on activities to complete at home. Disciplines include solar, electric vehicles, efficient buildings, and offshore wind. In the case of offshore winds, if the interested school district qualifies as an environmental justice area and/or NYSERDA-designated underserved community. Whymaker kits for constructing the floating wind turbines can be procured from NYPA at no cost.

NYSERDA Solar Lessons for Students – Today’s students are tomorrow’s inventors and problem solvers. Inspire and educate those students about why clean energy is good for New Yorkers and the environment. Help them uncover the science and technology associated with solar energy. Educators can use the following lessons about solar power in classrooms for grades 4-12 and other learning settings. The lessons complement K-Solar, which is a program under the NY-Sun initiative that brings solar power to schools across New York State. The lessons are grouped by suggested grade level.

Offshore Wind for Kids – The School of Professional Development partnered with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and a hands-on STEM-education provider, WhyMaker, to repurpose the content for K-12 audiences. “Offshore Wind for Kids” was developed in three distinct age tiers (elementary, middle, and high school) for appropriate conveying of topics such as “what is wind power,” “how does a wind turbine work,” “can a windmill float,” and “how does the power get to my house.” After the short video lectures and animations, students then build a mock windmill that floats in a pool of water. Schools within a designated underserved community can have their windmill kits and content provided and facilitated NYPA’s environmental justice unit and a Stony Brook University representative. Those outside underserved communities can purchase the kits and/or collaborate with Stony Brook University for necessary grant funding.

Whymaker – A STEM professional development companythat focuses on cultivating technology-based project plans with teachers to improve students overall success by helping increase student engagement and excitement for technology and STEM education by providing curated professional development to teachers. WhyMaker offers FREE workshops to K-12 educators to teach your students about clean energy and the future career opportunities.

Last updated November 12, 2024