Inspiring students is the core of our mission. These institutions share that vision and have played instrumental roles in working with us to develop and promote the We Share Solar program.
California State University, East Bay (CSUEB)
CSUEB has partnered with We Share Solar through its Social Impact Solar Program at Cal State East Bay. Professors Karina Garbesi and Erik Helgren worked closely with We Share Solar to create a university course “Social Impact Through Sustainable Solar Design.” The course, centered around the Solar Suitcase, covers the full range of subjects in our curriculum: electricity, engineering, and global energy inequity. In addition to their classroom work, Cal State East Bay college students work with local, low-income middle school students to build Solar Suitcases, facilitating a direct link between middle school students and their local university. The unique educational program received the 2016 California Higher Education Sustainability Conference Award for STEM Academics, and Cal State expanded the program to four additional CSU campuses (Humbolt, Monterey Bay, CalPoly, and San Francisco State) in 2017.
Lawrence Hall of Science at University of California, Berkeley
We Share Solar and the Lawrence Hall of Science created Educational Pathways Into College and Career (EPICC), an interdisciplinary summer program designed to equip students from low-performing schools, low-income families, and ethnic/racial groups underrepresented in STEM fields with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to succeed in STEM majors and to pursue STEM-related careers. In this intensive 3-week program, the We Share Solar Suitcase serves as the unifying purpose of work in mathematics, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication.
Legacy Partners
Princeton, New Jersey is home to three of our most enduring educational partners. Participating in the We Share Solar program since 2013, The Lawrenceville School, Princeton Day School, and Immaculata High School have played key roles in developing the Solar Suitcase alongside our accompanying curriculum. Together, these schools have taught the We Share Solar program to over 250 students and have placed Solar Suitcases in 10 countries, benefiting more than 5,000 youth previously living without access to reliable electricity.
