RAYMOND S.
KELLIS GOES GREEN, EARTH DAY APRIL 22, 2010
Story by Bette Sharpe - Photos by Ed and Bette Sharpe - Glendale
Daily Planet
Photo RSKHS
8990
W. Orangewood
Glendale, AZ 85305
University of Phoenix is
sponsoring 10 solar schools across the country in partnership with Earth
Day Network to provide a greener future for high schools and by
“greening” with solar panel installations and by
"greening" some student futures with scholarships.
The University of Phoenix is "green" and
is among the top 10 colleges and universities that has purchased green
power; about 47 million kilowatt hours of green energy annually.
As part of the futures “greening”, University
of Phoenix will select one student to win a full four-year scholarship
for a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science or a Bachelor of
Science in Business with a Concentration in Green and Sustainable
Enterprise Management. In April, Raymond S. Kellis High School will hold an
application process for interested students and nominate up to two
students for participation in the contest.
Scholarship recipients will be announced in May.
Helping to fund the solar
projects is a $15,000 grant from Earth Day Network.
Mr. English and his students worked with Phoenix based Green Fuel
Technologies to design and install the solar panels.
The main focus of the project is the installation of a 1.8 k/w
solar panel system and several solar powered LED lighting structures
that will save the school approximately $35,000 and 132.270 pounds of
carbon emissions over 30 years. Staff at Raymond S. Kellis won't have to drag
out extension chords to light the courtyard any longer, now that the
solar lights are installed. The
new solar panels will provide electric power for the student store
appliances and lighting for the very busy and popular courtyard.
- Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
Today is the 40th Anniversary
of Earth Day.
Raymond S. Kellis High School. are
already making plans to recognize of Earth Day in 2011. Students,
teachers and administrators have gotten the
message of just how interrelated we are to
our environment.
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Green Clubs of America
(non-profit) are forming on high school campuses across the county to
help students and teachers learn more about the world of sustainable and
alternative energy. Solar
is just one kind of sustainable energy source.
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Photo:
left, Hinrich Elyers, Dean college of
Natural Sciences, University of Phoenix;
right, Joshua Volinsky, Green Schools
Coordinator, Earth Day Networks. - Photo by Bette Sharpe Glendale
Daily Planet
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This morning’s
event included “flipping the switch” for the solar panel that will
power the student’s store appliances.
Joshua Volinsky, Earth Day Network, addresses the students and
visitors. Vendors taking part in the “green” fair in the courtyard
will focus on how to save energy and be more “green”.
- Photo by Bette Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
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Green Fair
Vendors from DECA/Accounting From left to
right: Taylor Lambert, senior, Kirsten
Cody, senior, Victoria Vega, junior model
Green Club t-shirts; more merchandize is available at http://shop.greenclubsofamerica.com/
- Photo by Bette Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
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Culinary
Goes Green! From the left, Isabel LaBander,
senior, Jesse Felix, sophomore, Elisa
Estrada, senior, Danielle Siqueiros, senior; prepare handmade mozzarella
cheese, on whole-wheat bruschetta with a drizzle olive oil and basil.
Buying
locally grown produce, when in season, reduces the amount of fuel needed
for transporting the produce to market, therefore reducing pollution.
Buying organic produce insures is pesticide free.
These are two good ideas to go "green" from the
Culinary both. - Photo by Bette
Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
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Solar panel
ribbon-cutting From the left: Hal Borhauer,
Peoria Unified School District Governing Boardmember; Shona Miranda,
Principal, Raymond S. Kellis; Erik Villezcas, senior Raymond S. Kellis;
Glendale Councilmember Joyce Clark; Hinrich Eylers, Dean, College of
Natural Science, University of Phoenix; Mr. Benan (green shirt); Joshua
Volinsky, Earth Day Network; Harry Shapiro, Vice President of
Operations; Glendale Chamber of Commerce. - Photo by Bette Sharpe
Glendale Daily Planet
Joseph
Rotenberger, sophomore, was one of the planners for today’s event.
He is the Skills USA President. The new solar lighting works on
sunny days or cloudy ones. “The
installation of these solar panels has opened a new world of
possibilities to our students and the community at large,” said Kevin
English, Building Trades Instructor at Raymond S. Kellis High School. -
Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
From the left - Joshua Volinsky, Green
Schools Coordinator, Earth Day Networks. and Kevin English,
Building Trades Instructor at Raymond S. Kellis High School pose with
the Phoenix based Green Fuel Technologies 'staff car'.
- Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
Earth Day Network will also provide the school with an educational energy monitoring system so teachers and students can track energy generation and savings.
“The installation of these solar panels has opened a new world of possibilities to our students and the community at large,” said Kevin English, Building Trades Instructor at Raymond S. Kellis High School. “Now with a hands-on approach, our teachers will be able to more effectively educate our students about renewable energy and sustainability. We are very proud and honored that Raymond S. Kellis High School has been chosen for this project.”
Honoring the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Earth Day Network and the University of Phoenix today announced the greening of Raymond S. Kellis High School in Glendale, Ariz. The centerpiece of the greening project is the installation of a 1.8k/W solar panel system
(Shown above and several solar powered LED outdoor lighting structures
(shown below) that will save the school approximately $35,000 and 132,270lbs of carbon emissions over 30 years.
- Photo by Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
Solar
Panel and High Efficiency LED Light - Photo by Bette Sharpe
Glendale Daily Planet
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Matt Bird, sophomore,
“Best thing I did in my life.”
Matt helped to install the two new solar powered lights in the
courtyard. Matt, a student
in Mr. English's building trades program, learned the skills needed to
install the courtyard lights. These
same skills might be needed in future construction and engineering
opportunities (jobs) that the alternative energy technologies will
bring. Matt and the other
students in Mr. English's program have a head start in making solar
energy work for us all. - Photo by
Bette Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
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Photo by Bette Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
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Inside the student store
where students can purchase snacks and a cold drink. - Photo by
Bette Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
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