Heart of America
Heart of America
Heart of America Helps Close Education Equity Gap by Powering Students’ Homes in Native American Communities
By day the children of the Navajo Nation are enlightened at school, eager to delve into books, tap technology, embrace donated educational kits, and learn from the wisdom of their teachers. For a good many, when they return to their homes, they literally are in the dark.
Thanks to a grant from All Points North Foundation, Heart of America (HOA) will bring light and learning to homes by installing free solar kits comprised of roof-mounted solar panels, a power station battery, a refrigerator/freezer, and LED lights. This standalone system will bring stable electricity to under-resourced student homes powering lights and a battery for charging small devices, computers, and refrigerators. The household owns the unit, entirely free, and becomes self-sufficient through solar power access, bringing down a significant barrier to academic success.
An estimated 14,000 households on Navajo Nation lack electricity due to financial, structural, and rural barriers. Of these, about one third are likely homes to students who cannot complete homework, read, or charge devices due to lack of light and power when they leave their classrooms. The solar systems are anticipated to provide up to 2,000 watts of clean, free electricity daily with a utility savings of up to $26,700 per family over the life of the system.
Installs are expected to support 20 families in the Chinle, AZ or Shiprock, NM region that lack grid power. HOA checks in with each family every six months to ensure the system is working to capacity.
Bringing the basics like light to homes denied electricity and running water is not a one-size-fits-all for the Navajo Nation. This cross-sector collaboration emphasizes pre-install meetings and training with the families to build trust, explain the process, determine install parameters, and reassure the families of the free service. Organizers are working toward connecting past recipients with future beneficiaries to further build trust and understanding of the no-cost benefit.
Through HOA’s program, solar-powered light will now shine bright for 70 more students. Not only does the solar project remove barriers to education but it positively impacts the economic, social, and environmental resiliency of families and community, and opens the doors to workforce opportunities.
For more information: www.heartofamerica.org
Photo credit: Heart of America
All Points North Foundation provides grants for U.S.-based projects and initiatives that support our priorities: improving public middle school education and teacher training, and implementing effective solar programs and/or projects.
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