About Our Trip
Solar Spring Break is an Alternative Service Break (ASB) Program focused on renewable energy for NC State Students. With funding from the Sustainability Fund, and support from the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service (CSLEPS) and the nonprofit GRID Alternatives, this upcoming Spring Break (2017) will be the first year NC State offers this ASB program to up to 10 students. This group will receive a unique service learning experience focused on renewable energy in low income communities. A grant from the Sustainability Fund will help fund the first trip, which will be a pilot program to determine long-term feasibility as an annual ASB trip. Following the trip, we will use data from student assessments and narratives to solidify a campus department as a partner for future trips.
CSLEPS offers more than 20 ASB trips each year but there are no trips that focus on renewable energy or provide hands-on technical experience that the Solar Spring Break Trip would offer. CSLEPS is interested in adding the Solar Spring Break trip to their ASB program.
The nonprofit GRID Alternatives has created the Solar Spring Break program, which gives college students from around the country the opportunity to spend spring vacation installing solar photovoltaics in underserved communities. They create the infrastructure and the solar installation opportunities. Each Solar Spring Break trip hosts 10-12 college students travelling to one of GRID Alternatives’ regional offices in California, New York, Colorado, Washington D.C. or Nicaragua.
This would be a phenomenal opportunity for students to participate in an alternative spring break trip while getting hands-on experience with renewable energy. Students who may be interested in pursuing a career in renewable energy or simply want to learn more about the industry would have the opportunity to work alongside a licensed solar panel installer – no prerequisites necessary. It is also important to note, the scope of this enrichment does not end with renewable energy. There are programming opportunities throughout this trip that encompass topics such as solar design, nonprofit management and community outreach.
This project directly correlates with many goals of NC State’s Strategic plan.
- Goal 1 of the NC State Strategic Plan is to “provide educational opportunities that inspire students to lead, to serve, to challenge, to take responsibility, to build problem-solving skills, and to engage with complex problems.” Providing funding for 12 students to participate in the Solar Spring Break trip would give students the opportunity to serve a community in need, gain hands on experience that will prepare them for the workforce, and apply what they are learning in a way that has a direct impact on the community.
- Goal 3 of the NC State Strategic Plan is to “Enhance interdisciplinary scholarship to address the grand challenges of society.” We know that energy is a challenge and will continue to be a societal challenge, especially in the United States. We know that this societal challenge cannot be solved by only looking at it through a single lens. This trip will provide students with the necessary perspective to recognize a unique aspect of the drive behind renewable energy and the impact it has on communities. Additionally, first-hand perspective on the energy issues in our own country will be incredibly influential in the development of globally engaged student leaders.
- Goal 5 is to “enhance local and global engagement through focused strategic partnerships.” NC State students would be working alongside trained professionals to serve a community in need. The partnership with GRID Alternatives would help NC State impact communities across the world. Thus far, Grid Alternatives has installed 22,365 kW of renewable energy, prevented 492,855 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and trained 25,272 volunteers. This is surely a feat NC State should invest its resources and students into.
Throughout the process of this trip, student participants will be responsible for assisting in the creation and content of a blog that chronicles the trip. The purpose of this blog will be to facilitate self-reflection and provide insight into the trip for future groups (and donors).
This is a very unique opportunity for NC State students to gain hands-on experience before entering the workforce through impactful servant leadership. Having a group of motivated individuals who possess real world experience with photovoltaics would be an invaluable resource to our campus community. The wide range of students who will benefit from this project will become increasingly evident through their reinvestment into the university through new perspective and invaluable acquired skills.