My Nonprofit Reviews

I have recently attended workshops for teachers managed by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA). NESEA and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) intelligently set up a system of trainees becoming trainers, so that their very useful curriculum and materials could be spread much further than it otherwise would have been. NESEA educational trainers are responsive listeners who build on experiences and discussions to make a well-tuned yet flexible curriculum. Especially in these workshops, but in other things they do, I appreciate how NESEA uses professionals in the field of sustainable energy and sustainable building to inform and inspire their K-12 educational work. The majority of NESEA members are professionals and enthusiasts in architecture, construction, and renewable energy, not K-12 education, but I joined the organization as a teacher and a representative of my own educational organization because the organization as a whole goes above and beyond working for advancements in education. One great example of exceeding expectations is how NESEA runs Junior Solar Sprint (JSS), an annual engineering challenge for middle school students to build shoebox size solar cars. They improved on the national version of the event, and it is now a very successful program in engineering education from Maine to DC. I've been attending and volunteering at JSS local and regional races every year since 2005.

More Feedback