TREES, WATER & PEOPLE
Solar Suitcase Education Grant Project:
Trees, Water & People’s (TWP) Native American Solar Warriors Program empowers, educates, and strengthens Tribal communities through solar education and social/emotional learning. Their program employs a pro-social approach that engages youth and community members in a manner that recognizes, enhances, and leverages their strengths, rather than focusing on deficits. Their program uses the We Share Solar “solar suitcase” curriculum as a hands-on pedagogical tool that engages Native American youth to hone their creativity and harness critical thinking to address community energy needs in a multi-phase process.
In addition, they accompany the curriculum with a social-emotional instructional unit that can be customized and modified to meet the needs of students from various levels of education.
Adaptation of various learning styles for effective student comprehension is a hallmark feature of this training program. In partnership with the National Indian Youth Leadership Project (NIYLP), they are modifying our hands-on solar suitcase curriculum for Native American students through addressing social-emotional barriers to western-based educational pedagogies. Incorporating NIYLP’s Project Venture curriculum with the “Solar Suitcase” training, they have the opportunity to engage students through Native American traditional learning models.
Each of the partnering schools will be provided with solar suitcases at the conclusion of each program. These suitcases will be used as a hands-on training tool that allows for the continuation of solar education in the classroom. The goal will be to provide a curriculum that is offered during each new school year, with a new cohort of students educated on the general benefits of solar energy, and specifically how to use the solar suitcase for a variety of different applications. TWP trains educators to deliver the curriculum, and also leverages previously trained students as mentors in the process.
Positive Legacy is excited to fund $15,000 towards this important program for the Native students of New Mexico.
Supporting Sustainable Practices throughout the Caribbean:
TWP’s mission is to improve people's lives by helping communities protect, conserve, and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term well-being depends.
For over nineteen years, Trees, Water & People has been a leader in not only reforestation, but also in the design and distribution of clean cookstoves and other clean energy products which greatly reduce the use of natural resources for energy creation.
Their work is guided by two core beliefs: that natural resources are best protected when local people play an active role in their care and management and that preserving local ecosystems is essential for the ongoing social, economic, and environmental health of communities everywhere.
They are staffed by a group of dedicated conservationists who feel strongly about helping communities better manage the natural resources upon which their livelihoods depend. All of their programs help people and the planet by providing communities with a hand-up and not a hand-out. This approach creates economic opportunity while improving the environment and human health.
Supporting Sustainable Practices throughout the Caribbean:
TWP’s mission is to improve people's lives by helping communities protect, conserve, and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term well-being depends.
For over nineteen years, Trees, Water & People has been a leader in not only reforestation, but also in the design and distribution of clean cookstoves and other clean energy products which greatly reduce the use of natural resources for energy creation. Positive Legacy is proud to provide funding to TWP annually, supporting many projects such as:
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Cookstoves - Each cookstove decreases a family's need for firewood by 50-70%, as compared to standard open fire cooking.
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Forest Replacement Associations (FRA) - An FRA is a partnership between farmers who have small plots of their land available for tree production, but cannot afford the start-up costs and small timber consumers who do not have the land or labor to plant and care for a tree plantation
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Tree Nurseries - Community tree nurseries give TWP a place to safely grow all of their tree species and provide meaningful employment to local people.
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Community Tree Plantings - TWP’s partner organizations on the ground develop close relationships with local leaders, farmers, governments, schools, and universities to plant trees in and around homes, on local farms, in protected areas, and throughout communities.
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Renewable Energy - Trees, Water & People's Tribal Renewable Energy Program puts the power of nature — the warmth of the sun, the power of the wind, the shelter of trees — to work for Native Americans. Working with tribal communities, they build and install residential and facility-scale renewable energy applications. These include off-grid solar air furnaces, grid-tied photovoltaic systems, and small wind turbines.
We are furthering our partnership with TWP to create a more interactive program for individuals that wish to become more involved in both organizations. Look for our exciting announcement soon!
To learn more please visit www.treeswaterpeople.org