Envirolution - Blog

With the current pressures on the economic and educational systems of Nevada, it’s now more important than ever that we ensure our youth are receiving the education they deserve. Envirolution™ is helping to alleviate some of the financial and staffing pressures on schools by providing invaluable teacher professionalization and student education opportunities.

To address demonstrated community needs (improved academic achievement, more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) based programs, and the need to provide college and career readiness to students), Envirolution™ has conducted extensive research and developed a successful STEM based, service-learning education program called Project ReCharge™ (PRC). The purpose of PRC™ is to educate middle and high school students about energy efficiency and sustainability while empowering them to improve their schools for future generations by performing an energy assessment of their school and producing cost-effective energy saving recommendations. In addition to educating Northern Nevadan students, PRC™ offers invaluable professional development opportunities for school teachers, thus preparing them to meet the community’s needs for better education and career-readiness. Envirolution™ connects professionals from more than a dozen successful, local, sustainable businesses with the students—providing them with the unique experience of learning about potential industries and careers directly from the professionals who are paving the way for future generations of a sustainable and well-educated workforce. PRC™ engages students and teachers in the kinds of hands-on, project-based learning activities that research has proven to improve comprehension and graduation rates, while improving schools and teachers—preparing Nevadans for a bright and sustainable future.

Through the Project ReCharge™ program, Envirolution™ provides trained staff, curricula, materials, lesson plans, and professional development for teachers in participating middle and high schools. The students learn to apply all of their standard coursework and skill sets to hands-on, project-based problem solving tasks that involve performing a basic energy audit of their school facilities, and conducting research about one of the six primary building systems that energy and building performance professionals consider. The students learn to apply their math lessons to energy conversions and cost-benefit analysis; apply their computer skills to conducting research and learning how to use presentation software; apply their English skills to research papers and public speaking; and, use their engineering skill sets to learn more about how buildings consume energy. By learning how to use their classroom-based educations in real world applications, the students are prepared for higher education and careers in the growing green economy!