Text reads: Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders for a Clean Energy Future. Image shows a sunset behind windmills.

Clean Energy Fellows 2021-22

CE - Clean Energy. Bright Futures.

Clean Energy: Bright Futures logo, left side shows a blue half circle with three orange lines inside. Image reads, CE Clean Energy: Bright Futures A Program of BEF
Clean Energy: Bright Futures logo, left side shows a blue half circle with three orange lines inside. Image reads, CE Clean Energy: Bright Futures A Program of BEF

CE is committed to transforming education for the next ten years through fostering sustained educator leadership that ensures all students are prepared to participate in, benefit from, and lead the clean energy transition. To successfully transition to an equitable and clean energy economy, we must set up all students for success, as they will be the future energy leaders and architects of community resilience. CE’s Clean Energy Fellows cohorts are designed to harness the genius of both educators and students to support this next generation of leaders facilitating the delivery of justice-centered, career-connected programming.

Strategic Priorities for Clean Energy Fellows projects:

  1. Access: Broadens access to student participation in the clean energy economy.
  2. Equity: Is culturally sustaining for the region served and addresses the realities of local equity needs.
  3. Longevity: Has structures in place that target a longevity of at least 10 years for their programming.
  4. Reach: Amplifies the impact of local educator leaders within the Clean Energy Fellow’s region.
  5. Partnership: Involves continuous inroads for collaboration between educator Clean Energy Fellow and critical regional partners (industry, educational, and community groups and organizations).

In 2021-2022 There were 5 Clean Energy Fellows projects, 4 physical school-based projects, and 1 online academy project.

Fernan STEM Academy

Fernan STEM Academy with the city of Coeur d'Alene Idaho as well as Fernan Community Lake

School building as seen from above surrounded by hills covered in pine trees.
School building as seen from above surrounded by hills covered in pine trees.

Fernan STEM Academy

Fernan STEM Academy is located on the North Shore of Coeur d'Alene Lake. This land is historically a part of the Schitsu'umsh (Coeur d'Alene) tribal lands and some members still live in the area. In 2021-2022, the region was in a period of rapid growth with many people moving to the area.

In 2020, Courtney Greene received the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). As the STEM Coordinator at Fernan, she utilizes her skills to created 3 units in clean energy. These units are intended for use with 3rd-5th grades. At the conclusion of the 3 years, students will be more informed and engaged in local energy systems and have opportunities to make positive changes.

A blue lake with green bank. In the bottom right corner a dock juts into the water with three elementary age students using fishing poles.

Students fishing at Fernan Lake

The 3rd grade curriculum focuses on wind energy, helping students learn how to measure and harness wind power.

A hydroelectric turbine model. It has a wheel with paddles connected to a drive and motor to generate electriciy.

Model of a hydropower turbine

For 4th grade, students build models of hydroelectric turbines and learn about water power. Water power is a primary electrical resource in the region and how most of the power in the area is currently generated.

Part of a sloped greenhouse wall with two small solar panels resting on the nearest edge.

Greenhouse with solar panels

The 5th grade students have a focus on solar energy. Through Courtney's curriculum students learn how how plants utilize solar energy to grow and sustain life. Students apply that introduction to how solar power generation works and how to measure light for use with solar panels. The students final task is to place solar panels on the school's greenhouse.

Courtney lead the development and facilitation of professional development opportunities for educators at her school and district that focused on her curriculum projects.

As a part of this project Fernan STEM Academy formed partnerships with the University of Idaho: Extension, Avista Power Utilities, Christ the King Church, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.


GreenShed, La Center WA

GreenShed at LaCenter High School, LaCenter WA

A field with wild grasses, sedges and flowers in the middle is a rock lined stream. A wooden fence makes a border at the top of the image.

Stream at GreenShed

La Center, Washington is a small town located 30 miles north of Portland, Oregon's metro area. This creates a small town community with easy access to large city resources. The Green Shed is a program of La Center High School in collaboration with Clark Public Utility District, is an endeavor to facilitate learning experiences focused upon environmental sustainability that culminate in the construction of a demonstration site that offers classes, extracurricular school-based clubs, families and visitors the opportunity to learn about sustainable land use, watersheds, waste reduction, and clean energies.

Three students in a grass field with trees in the background, 2 are wearing masks, the one in the middle with their mask lowered is using a laser measure to measure the height of something that is unseen.

Students taking measurements

Rebecca Morris, a CTE, environmental science, and social studies teacher at La Center High School, Kristy Schneider, a STEM teacher at La Center Middle School, and Haylee Tappan, a 4th grade teacher at La Center Elementary school, formed a collaborative team. Working together, they created a progression of opportunities for students to gain environmental sustainability experiences from elementary school through high school. Students from all grade bands were involved with peer mentoring, with high school students mentoring middle school students and middle school students working with elementary school students. Students learned environmental assessment techniques, stream monitoring, and water sampling.

Three students around a white tub and ice cube tray examine aquatic invertebrates that are in the tub.

Students examining aquatic invertebrates

At the elementary school, 4th graders learned about sustainability and water quality testing with help from the high school students. They then take this knowledge to the GreenShed where they test the stream and determine it's ability to support salmon. Students learn about clean energy and build models to understand how power generation works.

Two students working with soil spread out on paper towels on a desk with one full round container full of dark organic soil.

Students working with soil

At the middle school, students explored the importance of soil nutrients and water. They built 3-part terrariums, with filters and an aquarium to create a greater understanding of a micro ecosystem. Utilizing this tool they explored the impact of environmental pollutants. Additionally, students experimented with energy generation utilizing Muddwatts.

Green grass field which slopes down in the middle to a set of grates in the ground surrounded by rocks and pipes to hold the soil out of the grates.

Watershed grates for rainwater collection

At the high school, in addition to assisting with the elementary school and middle school efforts, students were tasked with designing and implementing improvements to the GreenShed. This involved the design, permitting, and construction of a kiosk at the site. Students worked with professionals to understand hydrology of the site, placement and use of rain collection, and solar panel installation.


Coeur d'Alene Tribe

Traditional and Modern Coeur d'Alene Tribal Boundaries Dark green area shows historical tribal lands that stretch from the Canadian border to central Idaho with areas in Montana and Washington alongside the Idaho panhandle. Red square inside the Idaho panhandle reaching from North of Moscow, Idaho to South of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho represents the current reservation boundaries.

Historical tribal lands compared to the current Coeur d'Alene reservation

The Coeur d'Alene tribe is located in the panhandle of Idaho with a historic range that includes parts of Washington and Montana. The area is forested with rolling hills and mountains containing many grass-crop fields. The tribe has a strong historic relationship the land, and in particular to their local waterways. Based in Plummer, Idaho the heart of the Coeur d'Alene tribe is 45 minutes South of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and East of Spokane, Washington.

Coeur d' Alene Tribe - Plummer Idaho

4 students using a rectangle to create a vegetation analysis zone on a grassy hill.

In an effort to reach the most students, Justin Marsh, College and Career Specialist, and Laura Laumatia, Environmental Programs Manager, collaborated to create a series of energy-based curriculum that can be used in the classroom as well as through after school programs like Boys and Girls Club. Through the project they hope to not only educate the students about clean energy and how it can be used in their community, but to inspire students to pursue energy and environmental careers.

Two students share a desk and a yellow multimeter measuring the output of an object that can't be seen clearly in their hands. Both students, one standing and one sitting, are looking at the multimeter screen.

Students create and measure energy.

Justin and Laura created a series of four lessons aimed at 6th - 8th grade students. Beginning with a two-part energy overview students learn to understand energy and the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy sources. In the next three lessons the students focus on hydropower, wind power, and solar power. Each lesson includes specific references to how the tribe utilizes each and it's impact on the local environment. Lessons also include careers and their expected salary.

2 students standing outside a building in the sun holding solar panels.

Students using solar panels

Row of desks with students working on building model windmills.

Students building model windmills

These lessons were made and implemented with partnerships from: Gizmo Coeur d'Alene Makerspace, Coeur d'Alene Tribe Environmental Programs Office - Climate Division, Coeur d'Alene Tribe Education Department of Education, Coeur d'Alene Tribal School, The Coeur Center Boys and Girls Club.


Adel School, Oregon

Adel School, Adel Oregon

Herd of mixed breed beef cattle being moved along an icy grassland with mountains fading into the fog in the background 3 cowboys on horseback on the right side of the image.

Southern Oregon Cattle Drive

Adel is a remote ranching community based in the high desert of Southern Oregon. Many ranches operate off-grid. Both water for cattle and access to power are priorities for this community.

Students attend the Adel School for 5 consecutive years before moving to a regional high school. During this time, Stacey Martin teaches the students as a single mixed-grade class.

Side of Adel School which shows the name Adel School Hornets with a graphic of a hornet.

Adel School

Students learned about many power options and then used that knowledge to create an information resource for local ranchers to utilize solar power for water pumps for cattle. Additionally, the students toured the state of Oregon to learn how power is created and used around the state.


RISE Institute Online School

Map of North America. Shaded in green are British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ontario, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. These are all states and provinces served by RISE Institute.

Areas with RISE Institute Students

RISE Institute Online opened in the fall of 2020. Based out of San Jose, CA, RISE serves students across North America. Without a physical classroom space, hands-on learning has to be more administered in a new way.

Susan Eslami, the upper grades STEM instructor, worked to create a framework for the introduction of Clean Energy curriculum into the online school structure. When complete, a progression of coursework in sustainability and clean energy will be available for all grades, kindergarten through high school.

Susan also supported CE's partnership with the Northwest Hydropower Association by creating training curriculum and supporting documents for their Hydropower Ambassadors program. The program seeks to train hydropower industry professionals on the best practices in STEM education so that they can engage with their local education communities and connect with students about career pathways.

Fernan STEM Academy

Students fishing at Fernan Lake

Model of a hydropower turbine

Greenhouse with solar panels

Stream at GreenShed

Students taking measurements

Students examining aquatic invertebrates

Students working with soil

Watershed grates for rainwater collection

Historical tribal lands compared to the current Coeur d'Alene reservation

Students create and measure energy.

Students using solar panels

Students building model windmills

Southern Oregon Cattle Drive

Adel School

Areas with RISE Institute Students