TAKE CHARGE! A FIRST YEAR IN REVIEW

In 2011, we were able to reach out to over 8,000 students in the state of Colorado, and we worked with over 30 different schools and youth programs with our Take Charge! project. Take Charge! activities cover the Colorado High School Standards by presenting the following information outlined in the concepts and skills that the students should master: there are costs, benefits, and consequences of exploration, development, and consumption of renewable and nonrenewable resources. The Take Charge! activities can also fulfill the Colorado Department of Education’s Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) requirements for Community Service and Contextual/Service Learning Experience.

Over 700 Student Energy Ambassadors volunteers from across the State reached out to over 20,000 residents regarding low- to no-cost energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs training resources. Through a variety of outreach activities, including school assemblies, community meetings and door-to-door outreach, these students were able to create measurable changes in their neighborhoods. With the community Porch Bulb Projects alone, we were able to install over 5,000 CFL bulbs. This small gesture made by the hundreds of student volunteers resulted in energy savings of 345,000 kilowatt hours, helping to save over $31,050 for Colorado community members. This number increases dramatically if families incorporated additional energy conservation measures – such as weatherization, power strip management, thermostat management and hot water temperature reduction, to name a few.