The REcharge Academy

Our flagship educator training program focused on clean energy. The intensive training blends lectures from experts and tours of energy facilities with replicable hands-on K-12 lessons. Get content and context.

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2024 Fairbanks, AK: Microgrids

2022 Sante Fe, NM: Nuclear

2008 Upstate NY: First WindSenators Class!

2024 Recap!

This year we visited beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska! Our partners at Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) helped us put on a REcharge Academy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Troth Yeddha’ campus on the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River.

We learned about the unique energy landscape of Alaska with a focus on renewable microgrids. We toured NREL’s Alaska Campus, the microgrid testing lab at Alaska Center for Energy and Power and much more.

We explored resources and curriculum for teaching about microgrids in the classroom, including efficiency, storage, wind, solar, and transmission. We'll announce the 2025 ReCharge location in September. Stay tuned!

What is the REcharge Academy?

Now in its 17th year, the REcharge Academy is our flagship educator training program focused on clean energy.

The intensive training blends lectures from experts and tours of energy facilities with replicable hands-on K-12 lessons to give educators content as well as context. The REcharge Academy combines materials from REcharge Labs, WindWise, KidWind, NEED, WhiteBox Learning and Vernier, as well as many other materials we find applicable and useful in the classroom.

Over 550 educators of all types have attended our REcharge Academies from all over the world and have impacted thousands of students and educators. We've come a long way from our first class of 8 Wind Senators in 2008!

Once an educator attends a REcharge Academy, they are considered a REcharge Instructor for life and become part of our extended family! Instructors may just incorporate lessons and curriculum into their own classrooms, or they may go further and work with local schools and districts to share the resources they’ve explored or train other teachers in wind and solar.

REcharge Instructors are critical actors who can help educate the world about renewable energy. They also help our team develop and test new materials and help KidWind hold regional KidWind Challenges. We estimate that each year our network of Instructors train at least 1,000 educators and impact 30,000 students through workshops and outreach events.

Wondering what we do at a REcharge Academy? Check out this agenda from the 2024 Academy held in Fairbanks, Alaska!

Kind Words

See what past participants have to say!

I loved the way the workshop was organized. We learned through participation in the activities. Way too often workshops are all lecture and no play!

Great model that I am working to get more comfortable with - less instruction and more rolling up the sleeves and getting to work. I am now more comfortable with adding maker activities to my courses.

There was so much great information and opportunities to learn and experience. This training will prepare you to integrate renewable energy into your program and you will have a great time doing it!

Is the REcharge Academy for me?

Any educator interested in growing their clean energy knowledge and learning how to integrate this into their classroom is welcome to apply for the REcharge Academy. We seek all kinds of educators to attend our program. They can be classroom teachers, after school educators, educators who work in informal environments like museums and makerspaces.

We have found that this experience is best suited for classroom teachers and informal educators working with 3rd through 12th grade students. While we welcome non-science teachers (general education and special education teachers, other content specialists, counselors, etc.), educators with the following characteristics are preferred:

At least 5 years of teaching experience
Some basic knowledge of clean energy
Network of local partners interested in similar projects in your area
Previous experience with teacher training outreach
Attendance and participation at previous KidWind events

What are the costs?

Tuition: $1,500

This included four full days of clean energy education session, site visits and excursions, lunch each day, and $400 in classroom materials.

Room & Board: $1,000

If you opt to add Room and Board to your registration, KidWind will take care of all of your meals, lodging, and transportation from arrival through departure.

Our lodging options vary per year and location but are typically on a university campus, in suite-styled apartments or dorms. Note, our lodging is only for attendees. If you bring a guest or partner to the Academy, you must stay off-site.

Staying Offsite

Attendees had the option to stay offsite at a local hotel or vacation rental. We can provide some guidance on this, but it will be up to the attendee to book their own lodging. These attendees will just have to pay tuition (not room and board).

Paying for REcharge

KidWind will send invoices to attendees that they can pay by credit card, school checks or purchase order. Applicants should wait to pay their tuition until they have heard from KidWind about any scholarships they may receive.

Are There Scholarships Available?

A significant number of full scholarships are available for educators working in Title I schools, with student populations underrepresented in STEM, or working in targeted regions. These scholarships are unlikely to include funds for travel.

You do not need to apply for a scholarship. We collect the necessary information when you complete your application and will reach out to you if we think you are eligible for funding. We encourage you to apply even if you can only attend if you receive a full scholarship.

Sponsor a Local Educator

Support renewable energy education in areas important to your company by sponsoring local educators to attend. By sponsoring a REcharge Academy educator, you are helping to increase local understanding of clean energy on an individual and community-wide scale. These trained experts can be one of your biggest assets in challenging development environments.

In our experience, for the greatest impact in a region we recommend sponsoring a team of three educators to attend the REcharge Academy. This team can then work together on launching KidWind Challenges, community outreach and professional development for other teachers in their region.

Sponsorship Costs

Tuition: $1,500

This included four full days of clean energy education session, site visits and excursions, lunch each day, and $400 in classroom materials.

Room & Board: $1,000

If you opt to add Room and Board to your registration, KidWind will take care of all of your meals, lodging, and transportation from arrival through departure.

When should we get started?

Early is better than later. It can take some time to find the high quality, motivated teachers that really have impact. These teachers usually spend their summers improving their skills and plan their summers early. We recommend having scholarship programs in place by November so that we have enough to recruit districts and educators, review applications, and ensure that educators have availability.

What happens after an educator is trained?

These newly trained REcharge Instructors are tremendous assets in communities. They can hold clean energy trainings, help with local outreach events, or they can even help to organize KidWind Challenges. They are basically your local ‘boots on the ground’ when it comes to K-12 outreach.