Donate
Alysa Remsburg of the nonprofit Solar on La Crosse Schools (SOLS) decided to do something about climate change: she, Cathy Van Maren, and a cadre of volunteers have put solar on La Crosse schools. “Doing something, even if it’s not enough, is an important way to manage anxiety about climate change. It is also fulfilling to find out {that} others have been […] inspired” by SOLS projects, she said.
Nothing any of us can do about climate change feels like enough, but when we take action, we make a difference. SOLS has done just that, putting solar on schools and educating the next generation about energy.
The group is currently running a Power for Learning campaign for the Summit Environmental School. The campaign will fund an outdoor classroom with a 30-kWh solar energy system. The school, located at 1800 Lakeshore Drive in La Crosse, has as its mission an education that gives students “a solid educational foundation […] with an environmental focus integrated throughout the curriculum.”
Of all the accomplishments of SOLS, one donation stands out: a 600 W portable solar-powered battery. According to Ms. Remsburg, “We’re able to monitor energy coming in and out of the battery while using the sun to power things like fans, computers, and holiday lights. Kids can make guesses about which appliances in their lives use the most electricity and how long it takes to charge a battery.“
SOLS also has donated solar ovens to Northside/Coulee Montessori. They’ve been used to cook rice, marshmallows, and cheesy nachos. Using only the sun to make food is a real-world application that helps children understand, in a visceral way, that we can use solar to replace fossil fuels.
