Under a sunny sky on the freshman hill at East Chapel Hill High, students gathered to celebrate the hard work and risk-taking by four of their fellow Wildcats. The Solar Kickoff on Wednesday, September 13 represented the official announcement of a Duke Energy Carolinas/NC GreenPower Schools Going Solar grant to install solar panels at the school. The award also includes monitoring equipment, training for teachers and a curriculum for students.

“The kickoff was both a culmination, celebrating the work of Megan, Emily, Connor, Michael and the Solar Panel Project participants, and also just the beginning of moving towards a renewable energy future at East and CHCCS,” said Dan Schnitzer, District Sustainability Coordinator.

Two of the student leaders of this project are affiliated with IE’s Climate Leadership and Energy Awareness Program (Climate LEAP). Since 2009, this student science enrichment, made possible with a grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, has engaged more than 250 9th-12th grade students in learning about the interconnected topics of climate and energy as well as the current and emerging solutions designed to move us toward a low carbon future.