As part of Project ReCharge, students utilize STEAM concepts, skills, and real-world data to develop sustainability projects aimed at reducing energy and resource use in their homes, school, and community. Students research energy and sustainability issues within their community, work alongside industry professionals, and present their findings through Public Service Announcements, Green School Certification, Energy Star Certification, Civic Engagement Projects, and Sustainability Proposals.

Students are provided with the opportunity to present their projects to hundreds of school administrators, parents, community members, and decision-makers during the Project Recharge Celebration, where Envirolution announces winning projects as well as projects selected to be implemented throughout the school year. Funding is secured by several parties, including local school districts. We collaborate with CLEAResult and others to ensure accurate energy savings, and the rebates from NV Energy are then used to fund additional projects in the future.

Impact to Date

Project ReCharge has reached 223 teachers from 108 schools and 15 school districts, provided them with over 9,190 hours of professional learning, and engaged 65,000 students with an interactive, hands-on STEAM curriculum. This resulted in $1.29 million in savings based on 10,418+ MWh of energy savings as a direct result of student-driven sustainability projects. These savings are equivalent to removing 1,591 combustion cars from the road and powering 930 American homes for one year.

Green Business Program

Green Business Program (GBP) provides schools a framework that simplifies efforts to implement sustainable practices and offers the opportunity to become certified green schools. This program performs audits of schools and utilize a web-based software program that tracks and collects metrics related to energy, water, and resource use. In partnering with Envirolution, this program provides Project ReCharge students the opportunity to assist with the green audit of their school, which enhances their curriculum studies and provides them with real-world skills and hands-on experience. By becoming a green school, the school will save money, reduce the drain on local resources, and be listed in the GBP national database.

2021-2022 School Year

Projects Implemented


Eagle Valley Middle School – Composting 

Anna, Jordan, Abby, Emilee, Alexis, Holly, and Taylor from Eagle Valley Middle School (EVMS) in Carson City, NV banded together to present a “Proposal for Reducing Food Waste by Composting”.

As part of Teneya Cramer’s ELA class, these students performed extensive research to discover how composting school lunches can make an impact in their community. 

As a result of their efforts, the kitchen staff now puts aside scraps from lunch prep which are taken to the high school’s composting and vermiculture program. 

By making composting an important part of their work, EVMS is providing a healthier meal and improving the environment and expects to reduce the cost to put food waste in landfills by 60%!

Eagle Valley Middle School – Pollution in Carson City

Lucas, a student in Kim Tucker’s STEM and Robotics class at Eagle Valley Middle School in Carson City, NV, won Envirolution’s sponsorship for his project “Pollution in Caron City”. 

As a result of this proposal, during the 22-23 school year, Lucas and Envirolution will host three trash clean-ups around campus and nearby waterways, green spaces, and parks to improve downstream water quality in the Carson River.

Empire Elementary School – Green Biz Kids

The Green Biz Kids club, run by STEM Coordinator Adrianne Wiggins at Empire Elementary in Carson City, NV, has been bringing together students at lunchtime to discover changes they can make in their lives and school to encourage sustainability.

In 2022, students created a poster campaign and presentation for the 2022 Year-End Celebration. Envirolution was proud to select this innovative team and help them bring their fun and educational approach to conservation and sustainability to their local community. 

Swope Middle School – Solar Panel Project

The recently renovated Swope Middle School in Reno, NV, took advantage of the opportunity to create a construction class taught by Mackenzie Kohler. Using the McKinstry live energy data dashboard, students identified how they could save money and continue to improve their school building by adding solar panels. The class applied for the NV Energy Community-Based Solar Resource Program and shared their work at Project ReCharge’s Year-End Celebration. We are very excited to announce that their project has been selected, and a partnership is being developed between Sol-Up and Washoe County School District to implement their plan.

CC Meneley Elementary School – Battery Recycling 

CC Menely Elementary School’s 6-person Sustainability Club created a Public Service Announcement (PSA) video and posters about sustainability, non-renewable resources, and the importance of battery recycling. With their teachers, Christen Vice and Vivian Michalik, they were able to involve the community by facilitating a battery drive hosted by the Gardnerville, NV Elks lodge in partnership with Redwood Materials. PSA flyers were shared in the community, on social media, and in the local newspaper. Students presented the results of their battery drive to the Envirolution Community at the Year-End Celebration, where they continued their work with Redwood Materials by encouraging attendees to bring their batteries to the event for recycling. 

Read more about student projects implemented in previous years starting in 2014!