We Care Solar Education

It's a good day to be a Solar Solutionary!

Becky Goldberg, Strategic Lead of Education, joined Good Day Chicago on Fox 32 Chicago this morning to talk about how our Solar Suitcase Learning Kits are bringing solar education to Chicago classrooms and beyond, amid Illinois' growing solar energy landscape.

Supported by Cultivate Power, Dimension Energy and Summit Ridge Energy.

Watch the full segment here: https://www.youtube.com/live/yySzZSCSaKI?si=DLICPAV6jbJ0Ines&t=5632

Collective action. Community transformation.

We’re proud to recognize Summit Ridge Energy as the third partner in this powerhouse trio in launching our first-ever Chicago-based Solar Solutionaries cohort, joining a group of mission-aligned funders committed to expanding opportunity through education.

For Summit Ridge Energy, investing in community-centered programs isn’t an add-on, it’s core to who they are. Their support reflects a shared belief that lasting change happens through collaboration, when partners come together to serve communities and expand access to opportunity.

Through Solar Solutionaries, Chicago students will design, build, and test real solar-electric systems right in their classrooms, transforming curiosity into confidence. Students develop tangible STEM skills while beginning to see themselves as innovators, problem-solvers, and future leaders in a growing clean energy economy.

Summit Ridge Energy is especially inspired by the program’s global connection, linking Chicago classrooms to schools and health facilities in energy-scarce communities around the world. It’s a powerful reminder that reliable energy improves education, strengthens safety, and enhances quality of life both locally and globally.

We are deeply grateful for Summit Ridge Energy’s collaboration in bringing Solar Solutionaries to Chicago and helping build a more inclusive, community-centered clean energy future.

Powering possibility.

We’re proud to recognize our second partner, Dimension Energy!

For Dimension Energy, access to great careers in clean energy begins early. It starts with strong STEM education, real-world exposure to solar technology, and awareness of what community solar can mean for neighborhoods and families. That’s why they invest in Solar Solutionaries, empowering some of the most powerful advocates in that journey: teachers.

By training and equipping educators with hands-on, standards-aligned solar curriculum, the program creates sustainable, long-term impact. Students don’t just learn about renewable energy, they wire panels, test systems, and experience that unforgettable “lightbulb” moment when their work produces real power. In that moment, solar becomes tangible. Possibility becomes personal.

Dimension Energy’s support is also deeply aligned with Illinois’ broader clean energy landscape. After nearly two years of involvement in the CEJA-funded workforce development ecosystem, they are committed to preparing middle and high school students to thrive in clean energy training programs, apprenticeships, and degree pathways. Building the workforce of tomorrow starting in classrooms today.

In Chicago, that commitment continues, from connecting CPS teachers and students to future solar career pathways and internships, to supporting broader engagement efforts tied to community solar development on the West Side.

We are grateful for Dimension Energy’s investment in possibility, not just powering projects, but powering people.