Page 26 - Highlights for Children (April 2020)

Solar for

Her School

When Claire Vlases of
Montana was in seventh grade,
she learned about plans to
expand and modernize her

middle school. Claire asked the
school board to add solar panels
to the project because, she
explained, clean energy
would contribute to a truly

modern school.
The board liked the idea but
said it could contribute just
$25,000—one-fifth of the cost.

So Claire organized a group of
kids and adults who set to work
raising the rest. They wrote grant
requests, put on a talent show
and other fund-raisers, and

asked for donations, even going
door-to-door for them at
Halloween. And they appealed
to charitable foundations too.

One donated more than half
the cost!

“Never give up.

Hard work one-fourth of the school’s and have a big impact on the

pays off.” electricity needs—saving the community,” Claire said. “There
district thousands of dollars. are always going to be barriers

“My favorite part about this and hard parts. When there’s a
After two years of hard work, project was that one person challenge presented to you, use
the group paid for the solar could start something small it as a learning moment and an
panels, which now supply and then the project could grow opportunity to overcome it.”

A KID AGAINST LEAKING CHEMICALS
At age seven, Asvini Thivakaran of Texas learned that batteries thrown

in the trash leak dangerous chemicals into soil and water. Asvini started a
battery-recycling program in her school and community that has already
kept more than 50,000 batteries out of landfills.

24 APRIL 2020