The U.S. Department of Education is pleased to announce the 10 winners of the Power Your Future challenge. As the second installment in the CTE Momentum series, this challenge invited students to submit innovative action plans to advance the use of clean energy in their schools and communities. Teachers who entered the challenge worked with students to identify clean energy solutions in their schools and develop detailed plans with timelines and budgets. Many spoke with industry professionals in their communities along the way. Teams submitted action plans reflecting diverse approaches to clean energy, from leveraging kinetic and solar energy to converting excess food waste into power for their communities. The challenge encouraged students to gain a deeper understanding of clean energy and explore career paths in the energy sector.
The Department created the CTE Momentum series to help students connect their skills to in-demand careers with promising pathways for advancement. By giving students the opportunity to see themselves in specific career paths, these challenges help to build the confidence and skills they need to excel in their chosen careers. The Power Your Future challenge invited students to examine the roles they play in their communities and see how their work in the classroom can have a real-world impact. By participating in this challenge, students had the opportunity to see what can be accomplished when they work together to achieve a common goal.
A judging panel composed of subject matter experts in career and technical education, clean energy workforce development, school district operations, and youth engagement reviewed and scored each submission based on challenge selection criteria. Winning schools will receive $5,000 each.
Meet the 10 winning teams
- duPont Manual High School, Louisville, Kentucky — proposed using kinetic turnstiles to capture unharnessed energy generated by human movement. Turnstiles in subways and concert venues, revolving doors at airports, and even spinning playground equipment at schools could help generate energy powering communities across America.
- Greater Lowell Tech High School, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts — proposed installing solar-powered charging stations for cell phones. Placed throughout schools, these stations would help ensure that students and parents can communicate with each other as needed.
- Helix Charter High School, La Mesa, California — proposed partnering with San Diego Community Power to conduct energy audits and implement plans to reduce campus energy consumption. The program would serve the additional benefit of building students’ energy literacy, equipping them with essential skills for industry careers.
- Ivy Academy, Soddy Daisy, Tennessee — developed a combined energy education and community support program that would provide students with hands-on learning opportunities while generating energy for the school’s community. As part of their project, the students proposed turning a trailer into an energy lab, and developing solar backpacks that could provide portable energy to communities after natural disasters.
- Jose Marti STEM Academy, Union City, New Jersey — proposed using anaerobic digestion to transform food waste from school cafeterias into car fuel and electricity. Doing so would provide a new energy source for their community.
- Kealakehe High School, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — proposed developing simulations compatible with standard wireless VR headsets to offer students training for energy industry careers. These trainings would provide a level of immersion comparable to field experience while remaining safe and accessible to high school students.
- Legacy High School, Wichita Falls, Texas — proposed using a solar-powered drone to monitor soil moisture and weather patterns alongside a Mars-style rover to analyze the resulting data and perform agricultural tasks. Implementing the technology would help increase food production and provide a replicable model for integrating innovative energy practices with agricultural industries.
- Morris County School of Technology, Denville, New Jersey — proposed installing algae bioreactors to generate energy by repurposing food waste. Students would gain hands-on experience with energy technologies and learn about the rapidly growing field of biotechnology.
- Nekoosa High School, Nekoosa, Wisconsin — proposed designing omnidirectional micro-turbines that rely on varied wind conditions to support energy needs. The micro-turbines would function continuously to protect against power disruptions.
- Selah High School, Selah, Washington — proposed integrating a kinetic energy harvesting system to convert regular student activity and movement into energy. The harvesting system would provide an energy source for the entire community.
Continuing the momentum
CTE Momentum is an annual challenge series from the U.S. Department of Education to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to career and technical education. The Department anticipates the next challenge in the CTE Momentum series will be focused on careers in AI.
To receive updates about the next CTE Momentum challenge, sign up for the series newsletter.