Education and Workforce Development
Vineyard Power’s commitment to sharing the knowledge and benefits of renewable energy production begins in classrooms around Martha’s Vineyard. Students participating in Vineyard Power’s education programs learn about concepts of energy production, transfer, and usage, and demonstrate their knowledge by participating in exciting, hands-on activities.
5th Grade
Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Standards: Earth and Human Activity, Technological Systems
The lesson on wind energy sees students work in teams to design and build their own model wind turbine. After an introductory lesson on offshore wind energy production and the history of windmill technology, the students are given a chance to test out their own blade designs, with the goal of designing a fan-powered wind turbine capable of lifting a weight off the ground. The lesson gets students thinking about where their energy comes from and ways to improve current production methods.
7th Grade
Duration: 2 hr 30 min - 3 hrs
Standards: Physical Science of Energy, Engineering Design, Technological Systems
During the lesson on solar energy, students learn about different forms of energy, how they are generated, and how they are converted through different processes. Then, it is time for them to demonstrate what they have learned about energy conversion by engineering their own model solar-powered cars! Students test out their designs and make adjustments, then compete in a head-to-head race to see which car harnesses the power of the Sun the best!
Career Pathways: Offshore Wind
11th Grade
Duration: 1 hr 20 mins
Standards: Engineering Design, Technological Systems, Energy and Power Technologies, Earth’s Systems, Earth and Human Activity, Energy
Juniors at MVRHS learn about the creation of the Vineyard Wind 1 project, and are introduced to a plethora of career opportunities related to the renewable energy transition. Students work in teams to determine where to site a hypothetical wind farm based on stakeholder inputs. After the mapping activity, the groups explore and compare descriptions of a variety of green careers, and also have the chance to participate in a virtual reality simulation of working as an offshore wind technician.
Reach out to hollis@vineyardpower.org if you are interested in booking a program for your class or group!