Use of these resources for completing a submission to the Power Your Future Challenge is optional and not required by the U.S. Department of Education.
Getting started
Organize your team, collect your school information, and begin working on your submission.
Ready to get started? You can begin here
- Register your team in Luminary Lightbox.
- Share the details of the challenge with principals or district administrator and receive approval.
- Contact school administration to collect the requested details.
- Watch the recording of the September 10 virtual information session (transcript available).
Learn more about how to get started
- Use this submission checklist (download) to review the steps your team may take to develop your submission.
- Use this student recruitment flyer (download) to spread the word about the challenge.
- Use this administration approval email template (download) to receive permission from the school’s principal or district-level administrator to participate in the challenge.
Explore and discuss clean energy
Access resources that can be used to discuss clean energy with students.
As you begin to develop your submission, you can start here:
- Exploring and discussing clean energy with students.
Learn more about clean energy topics
- Watch videos on energy sources and clean energy technologies made by the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Learn the basics of renewable energy technologies and practices.
- Watch videos about how climate impacts energy production and distribution.
- Explore a diverse range of careers in renewable energy.
- Discover in-demand environmental careers that contribute to clean energy.
- Discuss with your team how wind and solar power can be harnessed to create clean energy.
- Explore classroom resources centered on clean energy topics.
Brainstorm clean energy problems and solutions
Collaborate with your team to identify a potential solution to an area of need at your school or in your community.
Once you’re ready to start working on a solution, be sure to:
- Identify a problem and brainstorm solutions.
- Choose the best solution for your team to pursue.
Learn more about brainstorming with your team
- Learn about how clean energy is harnessed and produced in the world today.
- Learn about how clean energy is shaping the world’s future.
- Think about the barriers to transitioning to clean energy and how you might address them in your action plan.
- Reflect on how your team can structure a brainstorming session to identify a clean energy solution at your school or in your community.
Develop a plan, implementation activities, and milestones
Start creating an action plan to implement your solution.
For your solution, think about the following as your develop a comprehensive action plan:
- Identify the key activities of your team’s plan.
- Create a timeframe for the implementation of your solution and identify major milestones.
- Determine the budget and/or resources needed to implement your solution.
Learn more about developing a plan
- Use an implementation planning template (download) to plan your project milestones and activities.
- Use a resource planning template (download) to identify the resources and budget required for the implementation of your project.
- Explore project planning tips and how to get students involved in the process.
Career and community connections
Make connections between your team and the community.
As a last step, make sure to:
- Invite students to consider how their knowledge, skills, and courses contribute to the solution design.
- Identify ways to involve community experts in your action plan.
Learn more about connecting with careers and communities
- Review the different CTE Career Clusters and help students understand how each cluster could contribute to clean energy.
- Learn more about clean energy careers.
- Explore how schools can promote community engagement.
- Broaden student connections by using community experts to extend teaching.
Disclaimer
This website contains information and resources from public and private organizations that may be useful to the reader. Inclusion of this information does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) or Luminary Labs of any products or services offered or views expressed. Resources provide insights on the activities of schools, programs, grantees, and other education stakeholders to promote continuing discussion of educational innovation. Resources do not endorse any educational product, service, curriculum, or pedagogy.
This website also contains hyperlinks and URLs created and maintained by outside organizations, which are provided for the reader’s convenience. ED and Luminary Labs are not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained therein.
Begin working on your action plan
Work with your team to complete the submission form.