The Jackson/Hinds Library System is adding solar energy education programming using a $5,000 grant from Apex Clean Energy. The new material will be part of the library system’s science, technology, reading, engineering and math program—also known as STREAM.
The grant, which Apex Clean Energy presented on Aug. 14, is designated for the western Hinds County library branches, which serve the Edwards, Raymond, Utica and Quisenberry libraries.
Jackson/Hinds librarian Willette Jacobs hopes to use the money to engage parents through their children and to educate them about solar energy.
“I understand that we have some people who are conflicted about solar (energy), but we are kind of moving forward in this world,” Jacobs told the Mississippi Free Press on Sept. 18. “I felt that maybe as a library system, if we could also have some information and teach people about the benefits of solar, we wouldn’t be as hesitant about it.”
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 320px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}
The Apex Clean Energy Community Grant Program offers grants ranging from $1,000 and $10,000 to educators, entrepreneurs and those Apex defines as “changemakers.” The award amount depends on the community’s needs and the application. Apex Clean Energy awards the grants in areas it serves across the country. This particular program prioritizes applications and entities that benefit Hinds County residents in and around Apex Clean Energy’s Soul City Solar project area.
“We know that these renewable energy projects, when they’re built, are going to be long-term fixtures in the community for 20 or 30 years of operation and deliver huge benefits once they’re operational,” Apex Clean Energy Director of Public Engagement Brian O’Shea told the Mississippi Free Press on Sept. 19. “But we don’t like waiting until they’re fully operational to start getting invested and getting connected in the community.”
Jacobs, who oversees partnerships and programming for the library system’s county branches, hosts a monthly STREAM education hour for students at the Utica library. STREAM incorporates reading into the science, technology, engineering and math curriculum. Each Saturday at the Utica library branch, Jacobs pairs