We Care Solar Education

10/16/2026

🔬☀️ New Jersey science educators — come connect with We Care Solar!

We Care Solar is excited to exhibit at the New Jersey Science Convention, October 20–21, 2026! We can’t wait to connect with educators who are sparking curiosity and inspiring innovation.

Stop by our booth to learn more about Solar Solutionaries®, our hands-on, project-based learning program that brings solar electricity, STEM, and real-world connections into the classroom. Get your hands on our Solar Suitcase Learning Kit and learn more about the impact of solar suitcases around the world.

The NJSC marks the official launch of the New Jersey Solar Solutionaries cohort, in partnership with Cultivate Power! 20 New Jersey schools will be selected to participate in the inaugural cohort, kicking off in the summer of 2027. Together, we’re expanding opportunities for teachers and students to build energy literacy, explore clean energy solutions, and envision their role in shaping a brighter future.

🔆 Ready to illuminate what’s possible in your classroom? Come say hello, learn more about the program, and discover how your school can get involved, at no cost!

We look forward to seeing you there!

08/26/2026

It's a good day to be a Solar Solutionary!

Becky Goldberg, Strategic Lead of Education, joined Good Day Chicago on Fox 32 Chicago this morning to talk about how our Solar Suitcase Learning Kits are bringing solar education to Chicago classrooms and beyond, amid Illinois' growing solar energy landscape.

Supported by Cultivate Power, Dimension Energy and Summit Ridge Energy.

Watch the full segment here: https://www.youtube.com/live/yySzZSCSaKI?si=DLICPAV6jbJ0Ines&t=5632

08/25/2026

Back in June, 28 educators and district leaders from 17 Chicago Public Schools gathered at Langston Hughes Elementary School to launch the inaugural Chicago Solar Solutionaries cohort. A two-day, hands-on solar energy professional development workshop made possible with support from Cultivate Power, Dimension Energy, and Summit Ridge Energy.

During the workshop, teachers built Solar Suitcase Learning Kits, explored solar energy and engineering concepts, and received training in We Care Solar's Solar Solutionaries curriculum.

The experience equipped them with the confidence and classroom-ready tools to bring solar energy, engineering design, and real-world problem-solving to their students.

Over the 2026–27 school year, participating educators are expected to engage more than 2,000 students in hands-on learning that builds STEM skills, solar energy literacy, and awareness of clean energy career pathways.

Learn more by visiting our blog: https://wecaresolar.org/we-care-solar-and-solar-energy-leaders-partnership/

08/25/2026

28 teachers. 17 Chicago Public Schools. One goal: helping students see themselves in the future of solar. ☀️

Summit Ridge Energy is proud to have joined Cultivate Power and Dimension Energy in supporting the inaugural Chicago cohort of We Care Solar's Solar Solutionaries program. Over a two-day workshop at Langston Hughes Elementary School, educators built Solar Suitcase Learning Kits and worked through hands-on, classroom-ready STEM curriculum. This school year, they'll bring what they learned to more than 2,000 students across the city.

A big thank you to We Care Solar for building a program that connects Chicago classrooms to schools and health facilities in energy-scarce communities around the world through student-built Solar Suitcase kits.

Read the full story here: https://srenergy.com/news/we-care-solar-partnership/

07/30/2026

Illinois, your newest Solar Solutionaries are ready to light up learning! ☀️

This month, 27 educators from across Illinois came together in Elgin for two days of hands-on professional learning focused on solar energy, engineering, and community connection.

Thanks to our founding partner and lead sponsor, Cultivate Power, with support from Dimension Energy, these teachers are now equipped with a classroom set of Solar Suitcase Learning Kits, and the confidence to bring real-world STEM learning to their students.

We’re excited to welcome these new teachers to the growing Solar Solutionaries® community!

Want to support the movement? Learn more by visiting our website.

07/17/2026

Solar Solutionaries featured in Vero News!

Check out the article to learn more about student impact from our workshop at Gifford Youth Achievement Center, Inc., last year.

KENYA — Before the first classroom lights flickered to life, Kenyan students gathered around and marveled at solar suitcases built and asked questions including “how are they built?” and “can … Read More »

06/09/2026

Collective action. Community transformation.

We’re proud to recognize Summit Ridge Energy as the third partner in this powerhouse trio in launching our first-ever Chicago-based Solar Solutionaries cohort, joining a group of mission-aligned funders committed to expanding opportunity through education.

For Summit Ridge Energy, investing in community-centered programs isn’t an add-on, it’s core to who they are. Their support reflects a shared belief that lasting change happens through collaboration, when partners come together to serve communities and expand access to opportunity.

Through Solar Solutionaries, Chicago students will design, build, and test real solar-electric systems right in their classrooms, transforming curiosity into confidence. Students develop tangible STEM skills while beginning to see themselves as innovators, problem-solvers, and future leaders in a growing clean energy economy.

Summit Ridge Energy is especially inspired by the program’s global connection, linking Chicago classrooms to schools and health facilities in energy-scarce communities around the world. It’s a powerful reminder that reliable energy improves education, strengthens safety, and enhances quality of life both locally and globally.

We are deeply grateful for Summit Ridge Energy’s collaboration in bringing Solar Solutionaries to Chicago and helping build a more inclusive, community-centered clean energy future.

06/04/2026

Powering possibility.

We’re proud to recognize our second partner, Dimension Energy!

For Dimension Energy, access to great careers in clean energy begins early. It starts with strong STEM education, real-world exposure to solar technology, and awareness of what community solar can mean for neighborhoods and families. That’s why they invest in Solar Solutionaries, empowering some of the most powerful advocates in that journey: teachers.

By training and equipping educators with hands-on, standards-aligned solar curriculum, the program creates sustainable, long-term impact. Students don’t just learn about renewable energy, they wire panels, test systems, and experience that unforgettable “lightbulb” moment when their work produces real power. In that moment, solar becomes tangible. Possibility becomes personal.

Dimension Energy’s support is also deeply aligned with Illinois’ broader clean energy landscape. After nearly two years of involvement in the CEJA-funded workforce development ecosystem, they are committed to preparing middle and high school students to thrive in clean energy training programs, apprenticeships, and degree pathways. Building the workforce of tomorrow starting in classrooms today.

In Chicago, that commitment continues, from connecting CPS teachers and students to future solar career pathways and internships, to supporting broader engagement efforts tied to community solar development on the West Side.

We are grateful for Dimension Energy’s investment in possibility, not just powering projects, but powering people.

06/02/2026

If you missed it last week, we announced the winners of our inaugural Solar Solutionaries Challenge!

Entries came from across the US, including California, Minnesota, Illinois, and Florida.

The range of projects included individual students addressing problems in their literal backyards to groups trying to improve studying conditions at their school.

You can read more about our winners and other submissions by viewing our newsletter here: https://conta.cc/3S8sifj

06/02/2026

Leadership sparks momentum.

When We Care Solar set a goal to launch our first Chicago-based Solar Solutionaries cohort, we brought the idea to an incredible partner: Cultivate Power.

Their response? Not only did they step forward as our very first funder, they helped activate the broader clean energy ecosystem to bring others alongside them.

We are proud to recognize Cultivate Power as the founding partner of our inaugural Chicago Solar Solutionaries cohort. Their early investment made this launch possible and opened the door to additional partnerships that will expand the program’s reach across 17 Chicago Public schools.

For Cultivate Power, supporting Solar Solutionaries is more than philanthropy, it’s a direct investment in teachers and students in the communities near their solar projects. By equipping educators with high-quality, hands-on STEM curriculum, they are helping students build real-world understanding of solar technology while expanding access to meaningful educational opportunities.

Community engagement is central to Cultivate Power’s mission. Beyond delivering clean energy and increasing local tax revenue, Cultivate actively invests in workforce development training for formerly incarcerated individuals, fire protection districts, Future Farmers of America chapters, local scholarship funds, and more. Through Solar Solutionaries, Cultivate is deepening that commitment — connecting clean energy development with lasting educational impact.

We are deeply grateful for their leadership, vision, and belief in what’s possible when industry and education come together to serve communities.