learn about renewable energy through storytelling and activities. The event was part
of the community’s work with the Energy Transitions Partnership Project (ETIPP). Photo by Brittany Falch, NREL
In classrooms and community centers across Colorado and beyond, the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) STEM Education team is doing its part to transform how
young minds approach renewable energy during their years in school.
But it’s not just about curriculum or programming—it’s about inspiration.
The team’s mission is to show young people that they have a place in the fight for
renewable energy, regardless of their backgrounds. Their approach is clear: build
excitement, make it real, and help every student see themselves as part of the solution.
As the content, curriculum design, and implementation lead for the Education Center,
Meghan Pearson said that students often come to her with the same feedback: “I thought
this was going to be boring, but it was awesome.”
Seeing this inspiration in students who otherwise may have never considered science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is what Pearson most loves about her
job.
experiment during a field trip to NREL’s Education Center to learn about renewable
energy. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL
The Power of Hands-On Learning
At the heart of this inspiration and excitement is the power of hands-on learning.
There is a certain magic in letting students roll up their sleeves, work with their
hands, and explore complex ideas in real, tangible ways. Instead of pages in a textbook,
they are creating model wind turbines, running solar cells through efficiency tests,
and taking field trips to NREL’s labs, where renewable energy technology lives and
breathes.
When creating content, Pearson’s goal is that through these programs students will
be able to see themselves in the lab one day.
“I want kids to understand that passion in science and curiosity is more important
than a grade in science,” Pearson said. “This all leads toward the idea of a STEM
identity. We want kids to have a strong STEM identity so that when science becomes
challenging they are excited to push through rather than stress about “being bad at
science.”
When her daughter was younger, NREL employee Sara Farrar organized field trips for
her class so that the students could see the work being done at NREL and how it applied
to what they were learning about in class.
“Those kind of crystallizing moments or lightbulb moments for them being able to see
things in person was certainly gratifying,” Farrar said.
24th Solar and Lithium-Ion Car Races held at Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton,
Colorado. Nearly 300 students on 74 teams from 21 Colorado Schools competed. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL
The STEM Education Center offers a variety of programs for K–12 students, including
in-person tours of NREL’s facilities, STEM story times, and researchers visiting the
classroom.
For young adults, a long list of collegiate competitions is available to boost students’
careers and provide valuable mentorship opportunities. The Solar District Cup, for
example, challenges students to design distributed energy systems for mixed-use campuses
or districts in a way that rethinks energy generation, management, and use. They are
provided with access to industry professionals and trainings
The Transforming Energy podcast discusses NREL’s impactful and comprehensive approach
to education initiatives aimed at cultivating the next generation of clean energy
leaders, emphasizing the importance of cultivating STEM identity and fostering diversity
and inclusion.
Farrar now serves as the principal investigator for the Solar District Cup after transitioning
from the same role for the Solar Decathlon. She attributes a large part of her career
in STEM to her own involvement in a collegiate competition as a student.
“They launch careers for sure,” she said. “We help [the students] with networking.
We help them with resume building and prospective interview content to be competitive
as they pursue internships or entry-level career positions in a field related to the
competition effort.”
As she pursued a successful career in STEM, however, Farrar often found herself fighting
against stereotypes that excluded girls from math and science when she was a child.
The teachers and mentors that believed in her were what ultimately shaped her passion
for ensuring other students have the same opportunities.
a STEM Education Program including hands-on activities geared toward elementary students.
Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL
Reaching Every Student
For this reason, a central piece of NREL’s mission is inclusivity—making sure STEM
education is accessible for everyone. This means going beyond traditional outreach
and building bridges to underserved and underrepresented communities. By partnering
with local schools and nonprofits, NREL is creating opportunities for students who
may not have otherwise imagined themselves in a STEM field.
“We try to spark the interest particularly of underrepresented students in STEM disciplines
through what are called ‘culturally relevant learning opportunities,’” STEM Education
Outreach Coordinator Tom Mason said. “How do we make [renewable energy] relevant to
their daily lives? And how do we introduce them to role models at NREL who are representative
of these students and their identities and their culture and their own experiences?”
Mason emphasized that diversity in the STEM field is crucial to the advancement of
renewable energy.
“We need people from all backgrounds and from multiple countries coming together to
solve these problems, because then they generate new ideas that maybe we haven’t even
thought of before,” Mason said.
Through community partnerships, mentoring programs, and inclusive STEM camps, NREL
is showing students that they have the power to make a difference in solving the world’s
energy challenges. By reaching across barriers, the team is helping students imagine
themselves in STEM careers and opening doors to new opportunities.
Ridge High School. The annual competition is sponsored by NREL, DOE’s Office of Science,
the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, Jefferson County Schools, and Dakota Ridge High
School. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL
Investing in Today’s Change-Makers
Students leave NREL’s programs with confidence that they can drive positive change.
They are not just learning—they are growing into roles that they may have once thought
were out of reach and realizing that their ideas, curiosity, and problem-solving abilities
can make a difference.
However, the resources are not just applicable to students.
NREL also provides opportunities for educators, such as the STEM Teacher and Researcher
program, which provides future K–12 STEM teachers firsthand experience in applied
research settings.
High school teachers can also apply for professional development programs that focus
on providing materials and curriculum that integrate the latest renewable energy research
into chemistry and physics classes.
To access all the resources available through NREL’s STEM Education Center, head to their website.