Solar Energy Helps Power 4th Grade Classrooms

           In Durham, North Carolina, a classroom of fourth graders have been learning upon the subject of solar energy and other energy sources from their teacher, Aaron Sebens, and have came up with the idea of having their own classrooms powered by solar power energy. The video below features the journey they came across from arising to the idea to making it a reality, where it ends in having a celebratory party, whereas Aaron and his students officially "flips the switch."
           To fund the project, Aaron and his class has launched a crowd-funding campaign that asked for support throughout America and around the world. The students had originally hoped to raise $800 but significantly, beat their expectations by raising to more than $5000.

 

Helping Slums in Africa have Better Lifestyles!

     In America, where freedom and an opportunity to live a better life is guaranteed, many American lives may take for granted what we are accustomed to having: electricity. In Sub-Saharan African urban areas, 589 million people are living without access to a public electric facility as well as dwelling in slums. That's where the iShack comes in!

This is the iShack, which was developed by the University of Stellenbosch, where they were able to fund this experimental project using a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It was developed to shelter families from the extreme temperatures in Africa as well as provide them with reliable power to sustain their lifestyles.

       This particular iShack is currently occupied by Plaatje, a domestic worker employed only once a week, and her three children. It is completely equipped with a photovoltaic panel, providing them with enough electricity to power three lights, a mobile phone charger and an outdoor motion spotlight. 

The structure of the iShack was carefully designed in that windows were placed strategically to provide them with better air circulation and sunlight heating as the roof was sloped to harvest rainwater during winter months. 

Upon living in the iShack, Plaatje and her three children claims that her lifestyle has improved drastically from where she used to dwell in, which was a cold, damp shack with a leaky roof and no electricity. Not bad of a transition for a family struggling as well as many others in Africa.