Project Overview

This report was created by 7^th and 8^th grade students from the Vergennes Union Middle School in Vergennes, Vermont as part of a Learning expedition called “Reducing the Carbon Footprint.”

The larger learning expedition was an attempt to help the middle school/high school reduce its carbon footprint by determining the amount of energy used on a yearly basis. The building manager met with a team of approximately 40 students as they investigated alternative energy sources for the school.

To investigate their questions, students researched an existing school or institute in Vermont, which used one of the class’s assigned alternative energy sources, in order to learn about the implementation process. Students worked in groups and were responsible for creating pertinent questions, based on their stated objectives, to include in an interview of the site’s building manager and, if a school, the building principal. Utilizing their training from a professional videographer, students videotaped their visit and interview. They looked at the costs and benefits of each energy source and energy-saving technology.

The students compiled their findings into this report; all groups were responsible for completing a section. Students presented their findings and made a recommendation to the school board as to which alternative energy source would best suit their site. The presentation was open to the public and included student findings regarding the science behind the technology, a cost benefit analysis, the steps necessary to implement the sources, and the advantages or disadvantages of each of the sources: wind turbine, solar panels, biomass furnace, or a methane digester.