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Two Rivers Community School Students Explore Renewable Energy at Appalachian State University

April 16, 2013. Two Rivers Community School middle school students visited Appalachian State University on Tuesday, April 9, to explore some of the renewable energy initiatives on campus. Graduate students in the Appropriate Technology department led tours and hands-on activities relating to solar and wind energy, as well as biofuels.

IMG_0544Sixth graders learned about how photovoltaics work and conducted their own mini-experiments using solar panels. They learned how solar water pumps work, visited rooftop solar panels, and toured other solar technology around campus.

Seventh graders traveled to the Broyhill wind turbine to see it up close and learn about wind energy.

Eight graders toured the biofuels facility and learned about the production and usage of biodiesel and ethanol.

This field trip was a component of the middle school’s spring expedition on sustainability. Over the last months, students have been engaging in in-depth, cross-curricular learning about what it means to be sustainable on a personal, local and global scale. Each grade is covering different content that aligns to the Common Core and Essential Standards, while also providing hands-on learning and community engagement.

IMG_0546Two Rivers Community School is a K-8 tuition-free public charter school located in Boone, North Carolina. Two Rivers is an Expeditionary Learning school based upon Outward Bound design principles.