In this 2 hour workshop, students will conduct a solar site assessment in Stuyvesant Cove Park. Using a solar pathfinder, students will learn how to measure annual solar availability and simulate how solar engineers determine which locations are viable for solar installations. Please note this offering is weather dependent.

In this 2 hour workshop, students will experience what it’s like to be a solar installer by exploring electrical circuitry design and hands-on construction skills through an off-grid solar installation

ELEMENTARY: Students work in teams to build a model of a green building powered by solar panels. As they build, they explore how green buildings help people adapt to climate change through smart design and renewable energy. Working inside the Solar One Environmental Education Center, they make connections between their models and the real building around them, which features rooftop solar panels, battery storage, and materials built to withstand flooding.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Students work collaboratively to build a model of a green building powered by solar panels. Using conductive tape to create working circuits, they integrate lights and a fan into their designs while exploring how energy, materials, and architecture come together to support climate resilience. As they build, they make real-time connections to the Solar One Environmental Education Center, where they see green building strategies in action.

HIGH SCHOOL: Students take on the challenge of designing and building a model green building powered by solar panels. They use conductive tape to wire circuits that power a fan and lights, while considering how energy systems, material choices, and architecture contribute to climate resilience. Working inside the Solar One Environmental Education Center, they analyze how features like solar arrays, battery storage, and flood-resistant materials are integrated into real-world green building design.

ELEMENTARY: Students explore how batteries store and deliver energy by building their own working batteries using household materials. They’ll learn about the parts of a battery and how chemical energy can be transformed into electricity to power a small motor fan. Along the way, they’ll begin to understand how batteries can support solar and wind energy when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Students dive into the science of batteries by building their own from everyday materials and using them to power a motor fan. As they explore how chemical energy becomes electrical energy, they examine the components of a working battery and how energy moves through a circuit. They also consider the role of batteries in renewable energy systems and why energy storage is key to building a more resilient, sustainable future.

HIGH SCHOOL: Students explore how batteries store and deliver energy by building functional batteries from household materials and using them to power a motor fan. They investigate how chemical reactions produce electric current, analyze the flow of energy through a circuit, and reflect on how storage technologies like batteries support solar and wind energy in real-world systems. This hands-on activity connects energy transformation to the challenges of building a resilient and sustainable grid.

A hands-on exploration of solar energy and electric circuits for young engineers. Students use mini solar panels to power a motorized fan and investigate how shade and angles affect solar energy production. Along the way, they learn the components of a simple circuit and discover how sunlight is transformed into electricity.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: A hands-on investigation of solar energy, circuits, and design variables. Students use mini solar panels to power motorized fans and test how sunlight, shade, and panel angles affect energy output. Through guided experimentation, they analyze how different conditions influence power generation and deepen their understanding of circuits, renewable energy, and the science behind solar technology.

HIGH SCHOOL: An exploration of solar energy and system performance. Students use mini solar panels to power motorized fans and investigate how angle and shade affect energy output. Using multimeters, they measure voltage in parallel and current in series, then calculate how many watts their setup generates. They interpret their results to explore energy efficiency, system design, and the role of solar technology in a sustainable future.

ELEMENTARY: A hands-on wind energy design challenge for young engineers. Students design and test their own wind turbine blades, while experimenting with shapes and angles to make them spin faster and measuring how much voltage their turbines generate. Along the way, they discover how wind can be turned into electricity and how renewable energy can be part of our collective future.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Through a hands-on design challenge, students explore how wind energy works by building and testing their own turbine blades. They measure how much electricity their turbines generate with and analyze how blade shape affects performance. As they test and improve their designs, students apply real-world science and engineering skills like energy transfer and data analysis.

HIGH SCHOOL: In this engineering-focused workshop, students design wind turbine blades that convert kinetic energy into electricity. They measure voltage and current data with multimeters to calculate wattage and refine their designs for better performance. Along the way, they apply key science and engineering practices as they test variables, analyze data, and explore how renewable energy systems can solve real-world problems.

Come explore our brand-new education center! If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, we’ll work with you to design the perfect program and schedule for your group.