Academic Enrichment Grant 2025-2026 Project Summary

Christina Lee

EUREKA! STEAM Education • Grand Junction, CO

EUREKA! STEAM Education, in partnership with the Western Colorado Research Station–Orchard Mesa, is launching a groundbreaking agrivoltaics outreach program designed to integrate solar energy and sustainable agriculture into hands-on STEM education. Beginning in July 2025, this initiative will develop and implement a dynamic curriculum centered on agrivoltaics—the practice of co-locating solar panels and crops to improve land-use efficiency and environmental sustainability. By engaging underserved and underrepresented communities through programs like R5 High School’s after-school initiative and the AmiGOs bilingual mobile preschool, the project will provide real-world, inquiry-based learning experiences in renewable energy, environmental science, and agricultural technology.

The curriculum will introduce students to key sustainability topics, including solar power generation, crop performance under solar panels, soil health, and the economic and ecological benefits of agrivoltaics. Through farm-based experiments, data analysis, and project-based learning, high school students will apply STEM concepts to real-world challenges, preparing them for potential future careers in sustainability and green technologies. Meanwhile, AmiGOs preschoolers will explore environmental science through play-based lessons on solar energy and plant life cycles, helping to build early environmental awareness and STEM interest.

This innovative outreach effort aims to reach thousands of learners, from young children to educators and community members. Lesson plans will be designed for broad dissemination and long-term use in classrooms, informal learning settings, and digital platforms. Throughout the two-year program, EUREKA! and CSU will evaluate impact through student assessments, community feedback, and participation metrics. Ultimately, this project will serve as a replicable model for integrating sustainability, science education, and community engagement, equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, and passion to address environmental challenges and lead in the growing sustainability workforce.

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