Georgia students envision a clean energy economy for the community – SACE | Southern Alliance for Clean EnergySACE
Students at Charles R. Drew High School in Clayton County, Georgia, study environmental justice, climate, and clean energy in their third-year physics class.
Cary Ritzler | April 25, 2023
| Clean Energy Generation, Climate Change, Energy Justice, Georgia
Clayton County, Georgia residents are no strangers to environmental concerns. In 2022, the Clayton County School District successfully applied for the first round of funding from the EPA Clean School Bus Program and will have 25 all-electric school buses on the routes over the coming years. Following that announcement, the school district began working with an Atlanta-based nonprofit to bring environmental justice and clean energy issues into the classroom so students can learn about the issues and take action.
The students had already discussed and selected projects to influence an environmental issue that concerned them Captain Planet Foundation‘s Green Heart Challenge. Students selected scalable solutions that could be implemented in their school community and beyond. However, for the students’ plans to be as successful as possible, Mr. Chong wanted his students to think about the big picture and create a vision for their school community once the issues they identified were addressed.
This was the perfect opportunity for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to share the Clean Energy Generation Community Visions project with the help of SACE member Rhudine Steele, who lives in the community and was excited to connect with students who support their Shared commitment to environmental protection and clean energy transition.
SACE volunteer Rhudine Steele poses with students as they work on their vision board.
Students began by identifying environmental justice needs in their community in a robust and nuanced group discussion. Concerns raised included trash, air and water pollution, and the environmental impact of development, including high-priced housing and gentrification and wetlands near her school being drained for new developments, displacing Canada geese in the process. They then discussed solutions to these problems, including raising awareness and strengthening democracy, electrification, conservation of land and wetlands, renewable energy sources, and jobs and economic activity. Realizing that these solutions could put their community at risk of gentrification, they considered how to maintain their sense of community while embracing a clean economy.
They ended the discussion by speaking in their groups to answer three questions:
- What is already great about your community?
- What’s great about your school?
- What are your hopes for the future?
Students created a word cloud to help articulate their collective vision for their community to thrive in a clean energy economy.
Students at Charles R. Drew High School in Clayton County, Georgia brainstormed on their shared vision of a clean energy economy.
Finally, the students worked together in their groups to create vision boards. The goal of the activity was to help them envision what their community could be like if everyone could reap the benefits of clean energy: clean air and water, affordable electricity bills, clean transportation, and good jobs in clean industries. The students were creative and insightful.
These students were brave enough to share their vision with their classmates, their teacher, classroom attendees, and everyone reading this blog! In addition, they are already putting their visions into action by taking action in their community. For example, student groups plan:
- Educate your classmates about tailpipe emissions from gas powered vehicles and share tips for reducing fuel waste and parking lot fumes
- Plant and share produce from a community garden
- Research a policy proposal to stop deforestation related to new developments
- Propose recycling programs in local elementary schools
The future is in your hands, but not only in yours! We all play a part in the clean energy generation, whether we grew up changing channels on a black and white TV, rotating an antenna to get a clear signal, or streaming shows on Netflix.
Are you ready to follow the lead of these brave students and work with your friends, neighbors, co-workers or family to develop a shared vision of a clean energy reality where you live and an achievable goal for your group to start with?
Join the Clean Energy Generation to learn how you can get involved in a Community Visions project.
SACE employees will work with people like you across the region who want to take an active role in planning a clean energy transition that brings benefits such as clean air and water, good jobs, comfortable and healthy homes, and hope for a prosperous future in our communities.
We are at a historic moment where we have unprecedented resources to transform our communities and we urgently need to start. Sign up to join the Clean Energy Generation and learn more about how we bring people together!
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