The Key West High School Alternative Energy Center has recently announced that they have received a grant from The State Farm Youth Advisory Board totaling $60,657.00.

According to the Youth Advisory Board, the money was awarded so that: “The students will expand their environmental responsibility education from biodiesel as an alternative energy source to include two turbines (the first in the United States) impacting their immediate environment and defraying power costs to the school district.”

The money will go towards a 2.5k Skystream turbine that will be put on the Marathon High School property, a 2,500 Watt solar array that will go on the Center’s roof and a security system to protect the grounds around it. Some money will also go to technical assistance for the installation of the turbine and solar array.

The Alternative Energy Center at KWHS was one of seven awardees in Florida and part of a competitive grant process.  We are very grateful to State Farm for their generosity and help towards achieving our goals.

 

Picture from School Board Recognition on February 23, 2010 and information shared by Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Burke:

The State Farm Youth Advisory Board has awarded Key West High School Alternative Energy Center a grant for $60,657 from State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company for a youth-led, service-learning based project.  The students will expand their environmental responsibility education from biodiesel as an alternative energy source to include two turbines (the first in the United States) impacting their immediate environment and defraying power costs to the school district. The plans include a solar array, using their classroom education to develop and implement a working plan for environmental responsibility education in the Florida Keys community. The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is a diverse group of 30 youth, ages 17-20 from across the U.S. and Canada, who were chosen through a competitive process to lead and oversee this $5 million/year signature service-learning initiative. The 2009-2010 State Farm Youth Advisory Board chose to address the issues of financial education, access to higher education/closing the achievement gap, natural and societal disaster preparedness, teen driver safety and environmental responsibility through a competitive grant process. Students writing the grant from Key West High were: Zach Harden, Cole Acevedo and Lorianne Oxley.

 

Cole Acevedo, one of the Key West High students involved in writing the grant, gives a thumbs up to celebrate the funds now available to expand the Alternative Energy Center at Key West High.

 

 

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