HOME-GROWN PROJECT GOES STATEWIDE

The cost of energy is going up, while our natural resources are diminishing – we need to TakeCharge! This is the message that Student Energy Ambassadors from across the state will be disseminating to Colorado residents over the next two years.

The primary objective of Take Charge! is for students to create change in the way Colorado residents think about and use energy, and get students thinking about "green" sector careers. High-school and college students will receive training and deliver information about energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Take Charge! will equip them with the skills and knowledge required to become Student Energy Ambassadors reaching out to thousands of adults and other students through presentations, social events and door-to-door canvasses in their communities. Students are excited about the opportunity to work amongst themselves to create change. "Having to work independently on this project in Pueblo has given me a great deal of responsibility, as well as accountability," says Lauren Chapman, a Student Energy Ambassador at CSU Pueblo. "I am looking forward to experiencing the changes in Pueblo. The process for being more energy efficient is simple and really effective."

Groundwork Colorado engages communities to create positive environmental impacts. Initially, Groundwork Denver is taking its mission statewide starting in Thornton, Englewood, Pueblo, Fort Collins, Golden, Greeley, Loveland and Colorado Springs, but there are over 30 communities in Colorado that have been identified where Take Charge! could be implemented in 2011 and 2012. Already, Student Energy Ambassadors from Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, Rocky Top Middle School, Upward Bound at Pueblo Community College, Colorado State University Students, Fort Lewis College Staff in Durango, and Connections Academy Statewide Online K-12 School will be working in their communities and with Groundwork Denver to Take Charge!

Take Charge! incorporates Groundwork Colorado's Porch Bulb Project, which is community outreach that engages volunteers and residents in the door-to-door activity of switching incandescent front porch light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs – the energy efficient solution – for free. This simple and effective action is an impactful energy conservation measure. Porch Bulb Project results to date are: bulbs swapped = 6,348; energy saved = 435,291 kilowatt hours per year; CO2 emissions prevented = 380 tons per year; energy costs saved = $39,176 per year; neighborhoods impacted = 26; and volunteers engaged = 1,539.

In addition to the measurable savings resulting from the porch bulb swap, the straightforward action of changing a porch bulb opens the door to a more in-depth conversation about energy savings in the home. The neighbor-to-neighbor, door-to-door approach allows Student Energy Ambassadors to engage residents who are often hard to reach through more typical communication methods, like fliers or advertisements.

This is just one of Groundwork Colorado's projects involving youth and impacting communities. In fact, Ms. Chapman and others find themselves working on multiple projects with Groundwork Colorado. "My favorite thing about working with Groundwork Colorado is that there is always a project to be worked on, and different ways to be involved," she says. "Everyone on staff is passionate about his or her own work and determined to make a difference."

Groundwork Colorado's funding for the "Colorado Student Energy Awareness and Outreach Project" is provided with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 grant funds awarded by the U. S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. Currently, the majority of the total cost of this project is financed with Federal money, and there are $330,000 in Federal funds for this project. This initiative is sponsored by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the Colorado Workforce Development Council, and the Colorado State Energy Partnership Coalition.

To learn more or get involved, contact us at TakeCharge@GroundworkColorado.org.