High School Catches Some Rays

Cochrane High School students are basking in the sun. Last month, the school flipped the switch on 30 solar panels and one wind turbine to offset some of its energy use.

The project, partly funded by $5,000 from Climate Change Central, earned the attention of environmentalist David Suzuki and Alberta Environment Minister Guy Boutilier, who both attended the dedication ceremony. They applauded the students for their efforts, noting change can start with small steps instead of gigantic schemes.

But things weren't always so bright. The program started in 2000 when two science teachers, Stephanie Bennett and Earl Binder, set out to engage students in a sustainable development project. Bennett remembers when the project bank account sat at the $100 she had donated. "I published an article in the school newsletter three times without any response," she says. "I was starting to get nervous."

That's when the sustainable development team of 14 students forged ahead, raising $47,000 over five months, surpassing their goal by $7,000. Grade 12 student Tristen Cones brought in the largest amount of funding by seeking contributions from the community.

"Climate change is a serious issue," he says. "It helped donors realize that contributing to our project made them a part of the solution."

The group focused on solar energy to make it more commonplace and financially viable. "The only way to improve and encourage solar technology is by investing in it," says Bennett.

This ambitious group is now looking at powering the football scoreboard with solar panels. "We're starting to change the way this town thinks," says Cones, "and we're going to keep that in motion."

Simple Green Solutions

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