Get Smart About Energy Use
Renew Our Schools is a powerful energy education program that gets students and staff in schools across the nation excited about getting smarter about energy consumption. Our lesson plans are designed to meet students where they are in their energy education journey, and provide hands on learning experience to expand their knowledge.
Engage schools through friendly competition
STEM Standards for future Energy Innovators
Good-bye High Energy Bills
Stronger With District Involvement
Fall 2023 STAR Competition
October 2 – November 10, 2023.
New cohort now opened! There’s still time to enroll, and we’ve opened a new cohort to allow more schools to compete. $350 per school. eGauge and Toolkit required. Ask us about scholarships and funding options!
How Does It Work
The Competition
Renew Our Schools competitions are now nation wide! Our competitions are 5-weeks of hands-on School Energy Actions – carefully designed for all age groups! The excitement builds as schools earn points by saving energy and completing School Energy Actions.
The Tools
Our inquiry based lesson plans and School Energy Actions have been thoughtfully prepared with the support of educators to ensure you’re meeting critical learning standards in the classroom. Our comprehensive Teachers Guide walks you through the suggested schedule for the duration of the program, and provides valuable recommendations for how to approach each School Energy Action in the classroom.
The Hardware
We recommend each school competing for the first time purchase a Tool Kit that can be reused year after year to support the program in the classroom. Schools competing at high levels of competition will require a Real Time Energy Monitor that we can assist with getting installed.
The Cost
We strive to keep the cost to participate in Renew Our Schools achievable for teachers, and your investment provides a year long access to our valuable classroom resources. First time schools can compete for as little as $200.
Competition for all Levels
SPARK
September 18 - October 20
- Designed for first timers
- No energy monitor required
- Energy Exploration
- Complete a School Energy Audit
- Develop a School Energy Policy
STAR
October 2 - November 10
- Real-time energy monitor required
- Impact Energy Consumption
- Complete a School Energy Audit
- Develop an Energy Management Plan
Super Nova
Coming Soon!
- Energy Monitor Required
- Invite Only
- Predict Energy Consumption
- Build an Energy Modeling Tool for your school!
Teacher Guide Provided
You don’t need to be an energy expert to lead a Renew Our Schools competition. Every team leader has access to our valuable Teacher Guides to walk you through the competition from start to finish. Our program was designed to build upon each weeks’ learning and our Teacher Guide prompts you every step of the way. Check out an example Teacher Guide here.
Lesson Plans Done For You
To win the competition, your school needs to complete School Energy Actions to get the most points. Winning schools commit 45 minutes to an hour per week to the program. And with over 25 School Energy Actions to choose from, you’re sure to find something to fit your available time. View an example of our School Energy Action Lesson Plans here!
What’s An eGauge?
Curious about real-time energy monitors? To compete at the STAR and SUPER NOVA levels, your school needs to have one installed. We partner with eGauge, but any real-time energy monitor will do. Learn more about eGauge and see why we think they’re so valuable!
Points and Prizes
It’s not a competition without points and prizes! Schools earn points by completing School Energy Actions. The school with the most points at the end of the competition wins the grand prize! What’s the prize? Every competition is different depending on the number of schools competing and our sponsors, but most competitions have a prize pool of at least $500. Schools can put their winnings to good use by implementing energy efficiency projects – which your team can check in on next year when you compete again! Read More Here.
Scholarship
We believe every teacher should have the opportunity to introduce Renew Our Schools to their classroom. If you’re unable to cover the full cost of participation in our competitions, please email us. We offer discounts and other funding solutions through our various generous partners. Contact Us Here.
