SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced today a $260,000
sponsorship that will put more than 100 portable solar kits into the
hands of local high school students through the company’s Better
Together Giving Program. Not only will students build portable solar
units, they will also participate in local sustainability projects and
have a chance to make a global impact by distributing solar kits to
certain countries in Africa, Haiti and other energy-poor regions of the
world.
The kits, called We Share Solar Suitcases®, are small, portable
photovoltaic lighting systems, powerful enough to illuminate a small
room. PG&E will provide more than 100 of them to high schools in
Northern and Central California, supplied by the nonprofit, We
Care Solar. The schools who receive the kits will be trained to use
them by We Care Solar and will learn firsthand the basic principles of
producing clean energy.
Students will then be invited to submit videos of their own local
sustainability projects. Winning schools will choose student and teacher
representatives to deliver solar suitcases to orphanages, schools and
medical clinics in Kenya with international charity Free
the Children. Additional suitcases will be sent to
energy-poor regions around the world.
“I love how this program combines clean-energy education and empowers
young people with a spirit of community service. It’s about instilling
the value of acting locally and thinking globally and showing young
people that they have the power to make a difference,” said Helen Burt,
PG&E’s senior vice president, External Affairs and Public Policy.
Following a successful first year for the program in 2015, PG&E is
providing more Solar Suitcases per school this year, delivering them to
more countries in need and expanding the energy training that students
will provide to recipients during their humanitarian delivery trip to
Kenya.
“It is the goal of this partnership to encourage global connections and
to promote the solar energy literacy of students everywhere—here in
California and in Kenya,” said Hal Aronson, co-founder and co-director
for We Care Solar.
This Solar Suitcase collaboration adds a global dimension to PG&E’s
commitment to STEM education and renewable energy. In total, PG&E has
given $75 million to educational initiatives in Northern and Central
California over the past decade.
“Last October, I was sitting in the classroom and we were building these
Solar Suitcases. We knew the suitcases were going to go to Africa, but
getting to see them in Kenya and seeing the people so happy to have this
opportunity that they greeted us with a song and dance—it’s unlike
anything I’ve ever seen in the U.S. or anywhere else,” said high school
junior Connor Schademan, one of the students who traveled to Kenya as
part of last year’s program.
PG&E’s broader Better Together Giving Program further demonstrates the
company’s commitment to building a better future together. With a focus
on education, economic vitality, the environment and emergency
preparedness, PG&E is aligning charitable resources with the company’s
values. Working closely with local community organizations, PG&E is
helping to create a strong, resilient and sustainable California.
Community investments are funded entirely by the company’s shareholders.
Schools interested in participating in the program can
apply now through May 31.
Learn more about the Solar Suitcase program by visiting pge.com/solarsuitcase
or PG&E
Currents for coverage and footage of last year’s program. B-Roll and
interviews from students and teachers who participated in last year’s
program are available upon request.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), and the PG&E Corporation Foundation strive to
power strong communities throughout Northern and Central California.
Through the 2015 Better Together Giving Program, PG&E contributed more
than $25 million to nearly 1,600 charitable organizations, including
matching the generosity of employees who donated more than $7.9 million
and volunteered more than 85,000 hours to company-supported events.
Community investments are funded entirely by the company’s shareholders.
For more information, visit www.pge.com/community.
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Source: PG&E Corporation