By Mary Newberry

Our solar celebration was fantastic! The program was set up using the “NEED Energy Carnival” materials from the primary book mostly and some from the elementary. Students could earn energy bucks competing in different energy-related stations; they did some solar face painting, they made solar bead bracelets, solar s’mores, hydro-coolers (small spray bottles were donated by a company), and they even played with sun rubbing windsocks. We had the 5th grade student council members and volunteer 5th graders manning stations and passing out energy bucks.

To complete the celebration, we will have a ribbon cutting ceremony for our PV system in September, and redo the carnival activities. If you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by! Parents are starting to understand the value to the energy education. One step at at time, one person at a time, one group at a time…

Name: Forest Park Middle School

Location: 925 Beloit Ave
Forest Park, IL 60130

Forest Park is a quiet school in a quiet town. The school district, however, has experienced the loud attention from solar schools projects for quite sometime now. With electricity provided by Commonwealth Edison, Forest Park is receiving some new attention. “We are so excited that Forest Park Middle Middle School has become our latest solar school project,” said Jana Jones, Environmental Education (K-12) Program Manager. “We are expecting big things from the team at Forest Park!”

About the System:

Size:  1 kW (1,020 watts)

Data:   Fat Spaniel

Number of Students:  325

Tilt/Degree:  40 degrees, stationary

Brand:  6,  SunTech PV panels rated at 170 watts each

Telephone:  (708) 366-5742

Contact:   Grace Finn     E mail:    gfinn@forestparkschools.org

Partners:  Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, Commonwealth Edison, Foundation for Environmental Education, and NEED