Workshop  /  In-Person Event  / 

2021 RECHARGE ACADEMY

The 2020 REcharge Academy has been cancelled - so we have decided to try again in the same place for 2021!  For one more year we will be holding our four-day Academy in partnership with University of Rhode Island Coastal Resource Center, WINDWINRI and the North Kingstown RI Chamber.

The 2021 Academy will focus on wind power, specifically the future of offshore wind. You can plan on packed days learning about the politics, technologies and economics of wind energy coupled with a range of engaging activities you can use with your students around wind energy. See the 2019 agenda.

Now in its 13th year, the REcharge Academy is our flagship educator training program focused around renewable 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.

Over the past 12 years over 450 educators of all types have attended our REcharge Academies from all over the world and have impacted thousands of students and educators all over the globe. 

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. 

Our REcharge Instructors are critical actors who can help educate the world about about renewable energy. They also help our team develop and test new materials and help KidWind hold over 35 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.

Here's what past Instructors have to say:

"I loved the way the workshop was organized. We learned through the participation in the activities. Way too often workshops are all lecture and no play!"

"Great model that I am working to get more comfortable with - less instruction and more rolling up the sleeves and getting to work. I am now more comfortable with adding maker activities to my courses."

"There was so much great information and opportunities to learn and experience. This training will prepare you to integrate renewable energy into your program and you will have a great time doing it!"

"I really loved the active mix. The staff was terrific as were the other attendees. The mix of people and backgrounds really added some depth to the learning which was a happy surprise. I was thrilled to get some real content and concrete hands on materials." 

“Get on the team!”

“Absolutely tons of fun, information, and once in a lifetime opportunity!”

“Amazing and most applicable workshop I have been to in a long time!”

2021 REcharge Academy Fees & Scholarships

The cost for teachers to attend the 2020 REcharge Academy are broken down according to accommodation type:

  • Double Dorm Room: $ 1250

  • Commuter (Lunch Included): $ 1000

Attendees are also able to find their own lodging in local hotels or with friends if they are not interested in staying in dorms.  These participants would pay commuter fees.

Tuition fees include the following

  • Lodging in dorms from Sunday July 12 to Thursday July 16. If you need lodging before or after the training starts that can be arranged.

  • Food from July 12 to July 15

  • $200 in gear

  • Lunch during each day of the training (for all attendees, including commuters)

  • Tuition for the course

Tuition does not cover travel to and from the training location.

Tuition Payment

Attendees can pay their REcharge Academy tuition in many ways.

  • Purchase Orders from Schools

  • Check

  • Credit Card

  • Scholarship

Scholarship applicants should wait to pay their tuition until they have heard from the Committee about any awards they may receive. Once your award is made we will send you an invoice for any remaining charges to attend the 2021 Academy.

If you have the funds to cover your tuition and/or you are not applying for or expecting a scholarship, let us know and we can get you an invoice to start processing right away.

All attendees will need to have paid their tuition by July 1, 2021 to attend the Academy.

2021 Scholarship Funds

We have many different kinds of scholarships and they are usually limited to a geographic region.  Most times scholarships cover tuition only and not travel, but there are few exceptions.

We usually offer the following support

  • Partial Tuition Scholarship (common)

  • Full Tuition Scholarship (less common)

  • Full Tuition Scholarship + Travel (rare)

  • Full Tuition Scholarship + Travel + Stipend (very rare)

2021 Scholarship Locations

NREL Wind For Schools: 12 scholarships from Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, or Virginia.

Pattern Energy: New Mexico

EDP Renewables North America: Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Washington, Oregon

Orsted: Texas - Up to eight teachers from four ISDs in South TX: Pawnee, Pettus, Needville, and Tidehaven ISDs

Credit

We are currently able to offer a certificate verifying 25 hours of contact time.

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    Sponsor an educator!

    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.

    What does it cost?

    At a minimum companies must cover the cost of tuition. In 2021, the cost to attend the academy is $1250, it includes all food, lodging and $200 in materials. We recommend that companies set aside $2,000 per educator that they wish to scholarship. These funds will cover tuition, a small travel ($500) and attendance stipend ($500).

    How do you find motivated educators?

    Companies can work with local districts to select teachers to attend.  REcharge Labs 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, REcharge Labs 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:

  • Grade level and innovative teaching experience
  • Been teaching for at least 5 years.
  • 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/REcharge 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.

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    Interested?

    Contact us today to set up 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?

  • Register by Jun 1, 2021

    Date(s)

    Jun 24, 2021 – Sep 30, 2021

    Address

    • Coastal Resources Center
    • University of Rhode Island
    • 220 S Ferry Rd
    • Narragansett, RI 02882

    Event Organizer(s)

    Michael Arquin

    TeamResources