WE SHARE SOLAR, WELLS FARGO BRING SOLAR EDUCATION TO CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS

Five-Year Grant supports program linking science and technology with international philanthropy and service.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA, March 8, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As part of its commitment to accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon economy and reduce the impacts of climate change, Wells Fargo is providing financial support for students in eight San Francisco Bay Area schools to learn the engineering fundamentals, and potential impact, of solar power.

The five-year grant will support We Share Solar’s Legacy Education Program, linking science and technology with international philanthropy and service. The dynamic and innovative program improves students’ STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) skills and solar energy knowledge while also raising awareness of energy poverty in other parts of the world.

“Wells Fargo is pleased to support We Share Solar’s mission and the students who will play an integral role in the innovation of the future,” said Philip Hopkins, head of Wells Fargo Renewable Energy & Environmental Finance.

In March 2021, Wells Fargo announced a goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions — including its financed emissions — by 2050, as well as plans to deploy $500 billion of financing to sustainable businesses and projects by 2030. Wells Fargo is committed to supporting clients and communities as they transition to a net zero carbon economy.

We Share Solar, the education program of We Care Solar, offers middle and high school students a STEM-positive learning experience that links practical engineering knowledge about solar energy with inspiring innovation and humanitarian service. The We Share Solar curriculum teaches young people that they can be agents for positive change, and highlights clean, renewable energy as a powerful solution to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

We Share Solar offers valuable STEM education and skills training with real world application. The Legacy Program enables We Share Solar teachers to lead students through an impactful hands-on educational and service-learning project, building and sharing a 12-volt DC stand-alone solar system, the We Share Solar Suitcase, with youth in energy-poor communities. The Solar Suitcase is capable of handling up to 200 watts of incoming solar electricity and can light up classrooms and charge devices. It is an easy-to-use, easy-to-transport complete solar electric system that can transform schools in communities without access to an electrical grid.

The We Share Solar Legacy Program is off to a great start for the 2021-2022 school year. Despite a challenging beginning for teachers returning to classrooms after pandemic related shutdowns, all eight Solar Suitcases funded by the first year of the grant have been distributed to science teachers in Northern California. Classrooms will return the completed Solar Suitcases later this year for deployment to rural and refugee communities in Kenya and Uganda.

Wells Fargo team members from San Francisco, Charlotte, and Minneapolis have played an integral role in supporting the program as classroom volunteers and mentors about clean energy career paths. With Wells Fargo’s support, a new We Share Solar program will launch in Washington D.C. this year. Over the past six years, Wells Fargo has supported more than 9,000 students building Solar Suitcases across 54 school programs. These suitcases have benefitted more than 100,000 people with approximately 2.3 million hours of light and device charging power across energy-scarce communities in Kenya, Uganda, Haiti, the Philippines, Dominican Republic, and Native Tribal Lands.

For more information on We Share Solar’s award-winning programs, or to donate, go to https://www.wesharesolar.org/

To learn more about the Wells Fargo Environmental Commitment and Social Responsibility Report go to: https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/corporate-responsibility/environment/

Wendy Cross
We Share Solar
education@wecaresolar.org