Now in its 17th year, the REcharge Academy is our flagship educator training program focused on clean energy. The intensive training blends lectures from experts and tours of energy facilities with replicable hands-on K-12 lessons to give educators content as well as context. The REcharge Academy combines materials from REcharge Labs, WindWise, KidWind, NEED, WhiteBox Learning and Vernier, as well as many other materials we find applicable and useful in the classroom. Read about the 2023 REcharge Academy.

Over 550 educators of all types have attended our REcharge Academies from all over the world and have impacted thousands of students and educators. We've come a long way from our first class of 8 Wind Senators in 2008!

Once an educator attends a REcharge Academy, they are considered a REcharge Instructor for life and become part of our extended family! Instructors may just incorporate lessons and curriculum into their own classrooms, or they may go further and work with local schools and districts to share the resources they’ve explored or train other teachers in wind and solar.

REcharge Instructors are critical actors who can help educate the world about renewable energy. They also help our team develop and test new materials and help KidWind hold regional KidWind Challenges. We estimate that each year our network of Instructors train at least 1,000 educators and impact 30,000 students through workshops and outreach events.

We will have more information about our 2025 REcharge Academy later this year! Check back for more information.

2024 Tuition: $1,500

The cost for one teacher to attend the REcharge Academy in 2024 was $1,500. This tuition included four full days of training including field trips, lunch each day, two group dinners and $400 in classroom materials.

2024 Room & Board: $900

If you opted to add Room and Board to your registration, KidWind took care of all of your meals, your lodging from Sunday through Friday morning, and all of your transportation including your transfer to and from the Fairbanks airport.

REcharge Academy lodging was on the UAF campus, in suite-styled apartments. Each suite had two bedrooms with a shared kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Each attendee had their own bedroom with a single bed and was provided with a towels and bedding. Note, bedrooms are single occupancy. You may not bring a guest or partner.

Staying Offsite

Attendees had the option to stay offsite at a local hotel or vacation rental. We had secured a hotel block at a hotel close to UAF campus with rates of $215 per night. This was a great option if you are planning on traveling to REcharge with family or friends. These participants will just have to pay tuition.

Paying for REcharge

Attendees can pay their REcharge Academy tuition in many ways including credit card, school checks or purchase orders. Applicants should wait to pay their tuition until they have heard from KidWind about any awards they may receive. Once your award is made we will send you an invoice for any remaining charges.

A significant number of full scholarships are available for educators working in Title I schools, with student populations underrepresented in STEM, or working in targeted regions. These scholarships are unlikely to include funds for travel.

You do not need to apply for a scholarship. We collect the necessary information when you complete your application and will reach out to you if we think you are eligible for funding. We encourage you to apply even if you can only attend if you receive a full scholarship.

Support renewable energy education in areas important to your company by sponsoring local educators to attend. By sponsoring a REcharge Academy Instructor, you are helping to increase local understanding of renewable energy on an individual and community-wide scale. These trained experts can be one of your biggest assets in challenging development environments.

Interested? More Information About Sponsorship Opportunities Here

What does it cost?

At a minimum companies must cover the cost of tuition, but can also cover the cost of registration, lodging, meals, and travel in their scholarship. A further breakdown of scholarship levels is included below:

Tuition for 1 Educator: $1,500

Tuition, Room & Board for 1 Educator: $2,500

Tuition, Room & Board, Travel for 1 Educator: $3,500

How do you find motivated educators?

Companies can work with local districts to select teachers to attend. KidWind can be part of this process and offer advice if needed. If sponsors do not have the time or knowledge to find educators to sponsor, KidWind can manage the entire process as long as we know the areas you want us to target. We can even set up a competitive process in regions through an application process.

What kind of educators should attend an REcharge Academy?

We seek all kinds of educators to attend our program. They can be classroom teachers, after school educators, educators who work in informal environments like museums and makerspaces. We seek teachers with the following characteristics, although none are requirements:

• At least 5 years of teaching experience
• Some basic knowledge of renewable energy
• Network of local partners interested in similar projects in your area
• Previous experience with teacher training outreach
• Attendance and participation at previous KidWind events

When should we get started?

Early is better than later. It can take some time to find the high quality, motivated teachers that really have impact. These teachers usually spend their summers improving their skills and plan their summers early. We recommend having scholarship programs in place by January so that we have enough time to find teachers and their schedules are still open.

What happens after an educator is trained?

These newly trained REcharge Instructors are tremendous assets in communities. They can hold wind energy trainings, help with local outreach events, or they can even help to organize KidWind Challenges. They are basically your local ‘boots on the ground’ when it comes to K-12 outreach.

Interested? Contact us today to set up a program. All it takes is a few minutes. Things we need to know include: What area(s) do you want to target? How many scholarships do you want to offer?