ANN ARBOR – A2 STEAM at Northside will be awarded a $15,000 Sustaining Ann Arbor Together (SA2T) grant on Feb. 1 from the city of Ann Arbor to develop a solar curriculum for kindergarten through eighth grade.
"This is an exciting project that will engage and empower A2 STEAM youth to think about solar potential, including the possibility of onsite solar installations," City of Ann Arbor Sustainability and Innovations Manager Missy Stults said in a statement. "This program is a perfect fit for the SA2T grant program; and I look forward to seeing the seeds of inspiration that grow from this program."
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"We look at real world issues and problems to make our projects authentic and applicable to the world we live in," A2 STEAM middle school science teacher Jean Wilson said in a statement. "Climate Change has become a big part of that world. It is of great value to not only teach the causes, effects and evidence of climate change, but to also teach what we can do to mitigate the carbon in our atmosphere to slow the changes, and to adapt to the new realities of the changes taking place so communities can continue to live and thrive in our changing world.
"When we empower our children with not only information about the problem, but opportunities to be part of the solution as well, we are giving them agency. We are teaching students that they can be informed and engaged in order to make a positive impact. The units created here include a variety of approaches for understanding climate change and engaging in solutions."
About the SA2T Grant Program
The SA2T grant program is part of the city of Ann Arbor Master Plan's Sustainability Framework, enacted in 2013. The master plan has four categories:
- Climate and Energy Goals
- Community Goals
- Land Use and Access Goals
- Resource Management Goals
The SA2T grant program aims to resource and promote community-based initiative that support the goals of the Sustainability Framework. According to the city, it is overseen by the city's Office of Sustainability and Innovation, which "assists neighborhood groups to develop, resource and complete small-scale improvement projects in the city's rights-of-way or on publicly owned property, including Ann Arbor Public School property."
The program receives $100,000 in annual grant funding.
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