Finding Funding
Mar 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Paul Bunton
Deciding to build more sustainably can uncover additional sources of financing that wouldn't be available for a more conventional school.
Students fund solar panels
Thomas Jefferson (TJ) High School for Science and Technology, a public school in Virginia, has not let funding detour its efforts to go green. A group of students formed the TJ Environmental Impact Club in 2006 with the goal of bringing clean energy to the school. It decided to go solar.
Its state is not generous when it comes to funding solar. "We had to look elsewhere," says Amanda Hurowitz, one of two teachers working with the club. "We targeted four groups: parents, alumni, other TJ clubs and corporations." The group started with the Parent Teacher and Student Association, put up tables at school events and spread its need for funds by word of mouth. "Then we convinced our alumni association to send out an e-mail and give us access to their database to send out printed information," says Hurowitz. "We solicited donations from other clubs and Future Business Leaders of America, and raised $8,000. We also convinced the class of 2007 to give us $6,000 as their school gift."
Next, the group cold-called corporations. "We received donations from Dominion Power, Texas Instruments, Patagonia and Java Green," says Hurowitz. The student volunteers teamed up with Alexandria Whole Foods to raise funds on Earth Day 2008, receiving 5 percent of all the store's receipts for that day.
So far the club has raised $44,000. The school has solicited bids and is buying a 4 kilowatt system with an oversized inverter "so we can easily add to it." A kickoff ribbon-cutting ceremony — and press event to raise more funds — is in the works.
Check it out at http://tjspi.110mb.com/.
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