An innovative venture…the Million Solar Stars programme

By Universal American School

Posted on November 5th, 2016.

Universal American School Roots & Shoots students are raising awareness and support to install solar power at UAS in Dubai.  Students recently conducted a rooftop site analysis for solar, and estimate a 3.0 MW system could fit on one of the school’s 4 rooftops.  Students are jumping for joy that a leading solar installer has agreed to sponsor a pilot solar array, if scaling up to a large system makes sense.

Roots & Shoots students are also bringing solar lights to all 600 students at Mkamenyi Primary, and to install solar power to provide electricity at the school.  They are looking at the Mkamenyi Primary School project in Kenya as a Million Solar Stars pilot student service learning initiative. Students are planning and raising support with bake sales, an Aquathon, a Solar Mohawk assembly, and most recently a ‘Pie in a Teacher’s Face’ activity. Thank you UAS students and teachers for their positive participation!

They are also raising awareness and support to expand solar technologies in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa to help students read at night, as well as offer clean energy science lessons that utilize solar lights, solar education models, and solar arrays on the rooftops of schools. Ultimately, the intent of the student service learning project is to provide education, environmental and economic solutions and opportunities for local communities.

Million Solar Stars is putting together ‘Stardust Boxes / Starter Kits’ for schools that include:

1) 100 Solar lights for students in Africa

2) 10 Solar model cars (with science engineering lessons)

3) 20 Solar model window-mills (with science engineering lessons)

4) 1 Solar array installation (for renewable electricity, data monitoring capabilities, science and maths lessons).

5) Million Solar Stars solar industry partnership and program support

Please contact Roots & Shoots if your school is interested in solar power education, or in helping to expand solar lights and renewable energy to schools in the UAE or Africa.