Spring into National Green Week with FPL SolarNow

Both inside and outside of the classroom, there is plenty to do, learn and see. With education at its forefront, National Green Week encourages schools and teachers to engage in sustainability focused lessons, projects and activities. Sponsored by the Green Education Foundation, this annual event runs from February to the end of April. The goal of this initiative is for educators to designate their own “Green Week” during this time frame to take part in a national effort to teach the next generation about the importance of sustainability and prepare them for STEM-focused careers.

With clean energy as our focus, FPL SolarNow has some bright ideas to supplement your National Green Week plans and teach students about creating a sustainable future right here in the Sunshine State. Solar energy helps take advantage of our greatest natural resource to create clean energy for all – but it can also be a source of fun for everyone!

Visit one of our kid-friendly partner locations and check out our interactive tools to help celebrate National Green Week.

Take a Solar Field Trip

In the Sunshine State, you don’t have to go far to see solar energy in action. At 70+ locations across Florida, local zoos, museums and parks have been transformed into outdoor living classrooms – making them the perfect destination for your school’s next field trip. Make sure to check out our unique solar trees and solar canopies that generate emissions-free energy for the community while you’re there.

Keep an eye out for locations featuring “Sunny,”  a virtual, “talking” solar tree that’s accessible on your phone through a QR code. Using augmented reality and 3D imagery, Sunny can be a “guest teacher” for your students to show them how the rays from the sun can be turned into solar energy! Sunny is an interactive resource to learn all about how solar panels work and FPL’s commitment to bring more solar power to Florida.

 

Check Out FPL’s Free Energy Curriculum

Once you’ve taken your solar field trip, continue the learning back in the classroom with some fun, DIY experiments.  To provide a deeper understanding of energy concepts, FPL’s Energy Curriculum offers a free, open-source online curriculum for fourth, fifth and sixth grades that covers energy standards in science, English language arts and math.

The platform contains lessons and step-by-step activities that are easily accessible for teachers and school districts. For example, did you know it’s possible to create an oven in your own backyard using only solar energy? This is just one of the activities available on the Energy Curriculum. Or, if you know anyone that enjoys s’mores, check out our other solar experiments that showcase the power of solar energy.

Are You a Solar Energy Expert?

After a week of witnessing solar energy in action, learning with Sunny, and experimenting in the classroom, students can put their knowledge to the test with our Solar IQ quiz! With a mix of true/false, multiple choice and video questions, it’s time to see who’s the top solar energy expert in the class.

Looking Forward to a Clean Energy Future

FPL understands that a clean energy future starts with taking the right steps forward today. As part of its commitment to a more sustainable future, FPL recently unveiled 10 new solar energy centers throughout Florida, reaching a milestone of 60 operational solar energy centers across the state. To put this into perspective, these solar centers can provide clean, emissions-free power to about 900,000 homes!

One of these solar energy centers is especially important, as it will help power the FPL Cavendish NextGen Hydrogen Hub, which will be Florida’s first-of-its-kind ‘green hydrogen’ facility when it comes online later this year. Solar, and the many other ways we can create a more sustainable energy grid, are all a part of FPL’s Real Zero goal to eliminate carbon emissions from its power plants by 2045.

Join us in supporting and celebrating Florida’s clean energy future by becoming a Solar Insider, where you can receive regular updates on FPL’s solar projects, our newest technologies and the work we are doing to cut emissions and lower costs.

Whether on a solar field trip, in your backyard or at the many FPL solar energy centers throughout the Sunshine State, we hope you’ll host your own Green Week as we all work toward a clean energy future together.