Chambers County School District announces the PowerUp! Challenge! This educational initiative is a partnership brought to you by SOLV Energy, Heart of America, and sei. The LaFayette Senior class of 50 students is invited to participate in the 6-week PowerUp! The challenge starts on February 4th.
Representatives from SOLV Energy and Heart of America will arrive from San Diego, California, and Minetonka, Minnesota on Wednesday, February 2nd. The SOLV Energy & Heart of America reps will tour the schools across the district with Superintendent Chambley on Thursday, February 3rd. LaFayette High School auditorium will host the PowerUp! Challenge assembly on Friday, Feb. 4th at 9 a.m. Guest speaker Devon Mackey with SOLV Energy will discuss his career path along with an overview of the Challenge presented to the students.
Judges for the PowerUp! Challenge will represent a wide range of leaders across Chambers County. CCSD Board President, Mr. Jeffrey Finch will chair the committee of judges. Joining Mr. Finch will be LaFayette City Mayor, Mr. Kenneth Vines, Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Director, Ms. Carrie Royster, and Camp Marannook Director, Mr. Taylor Teel.
LHS Principal, Mr. Nick Davis will serve as the committee’s administrative contact and Ms. Ambreka Chappell, a science teacher at LHS will be coordinating the project initiative with her senior students. Dr. Travis Smith with UNITE, Inc. will be sponsoring PowerUp! sweatshirts for all of the participating seniors in the Challenge along with additional Good Energy swag provided by SOLV Energy.
The student entries for the PowerUp are due on March 18th. Judges will then review and score the entries submitted for the competition during the week of March 28th – April 1st. Winners will be announced for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place tentatively set for April 4th. Scholarship awards range from $1500 to $500 for winners along with Goal Zero solar products.
Superintendent, Casey Chambley is thrilled to see that the Chambers County School District is the first one in the state of Alabama to partner with SOLV Energy for the 2022 PowerUP! Challenge. SOLV Energy Representative, Ms. Jennifer Hershman, and Heart of America, Ms. Jill Hardy Heath will be making their first visit to Alabama from their home offices in San Diego and Minnetonka to launch this initiative. The PowerUp! Challenge encourages students to dive deeper into their relationship with energy and share conservation strategies that could be implemented in their own communities. Chambley noted this is a great way to expand project-based learning opportunities for our students!
About SOLV Energy
At SOLV Energy, we believe that good energy has a ripple effect. That’s why we take on projects that have the opportunity to provide cleaner power, better jobs, greater education, and a brighter future for our communities. Backed by a powerful legacy, we’re branching out to focus on renewable energy initiatives—continuing to build and manage more effective utility-scale solar, energy storage and high-voltage substation solar installations, and more.
Together, we’ve learned that being number one doesn’t mean taking the easy route, it means taking the right one. As we grow and continue to face challenges, we will be on the front lines tackling the good fight for better energy. We are SOLV Energy.
About SEI
SEI is an environmental nonprofit that builds leaders to drive sustainability solutions. For over 20 years, SEI has partnered with schools, communities, and businesses to develop a sustainability leadership pathway from elementary school to early career. Our flagship programs educate and empower students and emerging professionals to create thriving, resilient communities.
About Heart of America
Heart of America transforms learning spaces, bridges the resource gap, and strengthens communities to give all students room to learn, discover and thrive. We believe every student deserves an inspiring space, equipped with the right resources, to learn and thrive. Behind that belief is a deep commitment to collaboration. We listen thoughtfully and partner closely as we co-create vibrant spaces and innovative solutions that reflect the communities they serve. We leverage the power of volunteers to force multiply our impact in communities and beyond. Throughout our 25 years, we have worked to transform the lives of more than two million students in historically-marginalized communities by providing books, investing in technology, removing barriers to learning, and designing inspirational learning spaces.
About Unite
UNITE Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that was founded in August 2011at Alabama State University. Since 2013, UNITE Inc. has become a national organization serving high school students and HBCU students across the country. We strive to connect high school students to HBCUs and HBCU students to opportunities. Since 2014, have assisted our high school seniors in securing over $37 million in scholarships. Further, we have assisted our college students in securing internships and job placements with companies such as JP Morgan, Oracle, Ernest & Young, Deloitte, and admission into graduate programs across the country.
