Strike A Light

Growing concerns over climate change and rising fossil fuel prices are driving the expansion of energy efficiency and renewable energy worldwide.  A shift in thinking towards clean energy sources and technologies is already taking place.  With this shift, opportunities are emerging in all sectors of society.  Yet if severe climate change is to be averted, the pace of opportunity creation must be sustained, and the move to clean energy sources, expanded.  For this to happen, a change in the education of today’s youth is required.  This change has three components:
 

• Education of youth in climate change and its consequences;
• Equipping youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to build a more energy-conscious, energy efficient society; and
• Direct engagement of youth as key actors in the process of opportunity creation

Strike a light is the concept for an open source, hands-on science course aimed at engaging students in key energy issues.  The course will educate students in climate change and its consequences; will give students the practical tools to improve the energy efficiency of their homes; and finally, will partner students with industry in a group effort to improve the energy efficiency of schools.  The course will be both scientific and entrepreneurial in character since it will not only educate students in climate change issues but also directly engage them in improving the energy efficiency of their homes and schools.  Finally, the course will be open-source in nature, encouraging students to build content on a central web portal and develop a database of energy-related knowledge and tools.