SOLAR PANELS AND SOLAR OVENS
Click here to view a video of the ribbon cutting ceremony held on September 30th.
On September 25th at 10:48 a.m. the 7th and 8th graders together turned on solar power at the Farm. They lined up at the switch holding hands. James began the "spark" by squeezing the hand of the student next to him, and so on down the line until the "spark" reached Brittney, who pulled the switch. The activation of the solar panels and the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 30th marked the end of an intensive fundraising effort spearheaded by MCS students; however, the solar panels are only one piece of the school’s multi-pronged commitment to renewable energy and environmental justice education.
History of Solar Panel Project and Sustainability at MCS
While environmental sustainability and green initiatives may be relatively new concepts to many, at MCS the idea of being green is not so new. In recent years, for example, the school has expanded its commitment to food sustainability at the farm and in the city in important ways - including building a new greenhouse off the side of the farm house to provide fresh herbs and vegetables for both city and farm meals and significantly increasing the amount of meat from the farm served at lunchtime on 96th Street. In this way, kids at MCS are developing a greater appreciation for the concept of sustainability and sharing as well as the joy of eating good healthy food.
Last year, seizing the opportunity presented by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) offer to subsidize alternative energy installation costs, the MCS community raised funds to install solar panels at the MCS Farm. The 5th Floor students joined forces with the development team to raise the necessary funds for the farm’s solar panels. The students sold t-shirts, raised project visibility, and ultimately hosted a tremendous walkathon that raised $25,000. The walk-a-thon extended for 17 miles and stretched from MCS to Coney Island. The solar panels will generate 100% of the farm’s non-heat producing electricity.
Curricular Connections and Solar Ovens
Curriculum at the Farm and on 96th Street ensures that the solar panel installation does not exist in a vacuum for MCS students. Farming teacher Cathy Cammer has designed and implemented a renewable energy curriculum that explores energy options including fire wood (used by the Farm to heat outbuildings since the 1970s), grass pellets, and solar energy. For instance, on the 5th grade’s first farm trip of the year, students tracked the angle of the sun throughout the day and used miniature solar panels to power fans, lights, and clocks to investigate the new technology.
In the city, students have been engaged in building solar powered ovens as one part of a long-term partnership between MCS and the Council on the Environment of New York City. The Council on the Environment of NYC (CENYC) is a hands-on non-profit which improves New York City’s quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations.Since Earth Day 2008, MCS has worked with CENYC on three of their four program areas, working in community gardens, assisting at Greenmarkets, and currently, building solar ovens to learn about alternative energy. This spring, we will launch a project involving recycling, CENYC's fourth program area.
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