• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Youth Eco Solutions

  • About YES
    • About YES
    • Partners & Supporters
    • Our Team
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Our Work
    • Statewide Map
    • YES! Team Projects
      • Current Team Projects
      • Past Team Projects
    • Impact
    • Events
  • Get Involved
    • Start a YES! Team
    • Community Involvement
  • Media
    • YES! Video
    • YES! In The News
    • YES! Blog
      • Submit A Guest Blog
    • E-Newsletter
  • Donate

January 15, 2016 | Grants, News, Teams

Congratulations McKnight Foundation Project Funding Winners!

We are pleased to announce the 2015-16 recipients for the McKnight Foundation Project Funding, facilitated through YES!.

The project funding is a result of a larger grant received by the YES! Program from The McKnight Foundation in the fall of 2015 to bring climate literacy to YES! students across greater Minnesota. YES! offered $7,000 to YES! teams whose projects engage and empower youth to make an impact in their school and/or community on climate change through hands-on projects. Through a competitive process, seven teams received awards of $1,000. Read about their exciting projects below!

Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City YES! Team

Team Coach: Gabra Lokken

Solar Lights & Garden

ACGC team photoThe key goals and outcomes of the project are to research solar energy with the intention of replacing school parking lot lights, as well as work with a small, local community regarding the possibility of implementing a solar garden. Youth will be impacted through a Solar Energy Education Day, introducing young students to the concept of climate change and how renewable energy sources help the planet. YES! team members will be building the models for solar energy demonstrations for students and the community at various functions. The students will also be directly involved in research, meetings with school administration and facilities, and organizations working on the solar garden.

Cherry YES! Team

Team Coach: Rick Pierce

Electric Vehicle

Cherry team photoThe key goals are to demonstrate an electric vehicle to the students and community. Students will learn how to design, order materials, and build an electric vehicle. Two groups will work on the frame and power system, and the two systems will come together as a dual 30 Volt motor go-kart system. Students researched a design and power system that should achieve a range of 2 miles at 15 miles per hour between charging. This project will showcase the benefits of using an electric vehicle versus a gas automobile that emits greenhouse gases.

Glencoe-Silver Lake YES! Team

Team Coach: Mike Sundblad

Electric Vehicle with Solar Power Station

GSL team photoTwenty-two Glencoe-Silver Lake YES! Supermileage Team members are working on this project. They began by contacting local resources to determine how this project may impact the use of energy resources. McLeod County Power Cooperative provided information and connections for the YES! team to develop a plan for this initiative. Students will inform the community of how using hybrids, full electric and high efficiency gasoline powered vehicles can reduce consumption of non-renewable fuel sources. By researching, designing, building, and testing a zero-emissions vehicle, the students will have a platform to demonstrate energy independence to the public.

Minnesota New Country School YES! Team

Team Coach: David Rice

Local Foods Festival

Minnesota New Country School (MNCS) is a project-based school that has been operating a 500 tree, 6 acre apple orchard since 1997. It initially received a sustainable agriculture grant for $10,000 dollars and used it to plant and fence the orchard. Since then, the school received a farm-to-school grant from Sibley County to help manage the orchard organically. In recent years, the orchard matured, and the school is focusing on picking apples. MNCS will be transitioning into the harvesting and marketing phase of the ongoing sustainable foods project. The school aims to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in its students, creating opportunities in the rural community. The work promotes student learning while promoting the energy benefits of a sustainable local foods economy.

NLS team photo 2
NLS team photo 1New London-Spicer YES! Team

Team Coach: Teresa Copley

Energy Wise Local Food

The NL-S YES! Team and student body are living the lessons of sustainability and energy efficiency by growing local food in the campus greenhouse. The team will be using the funding to support several local foods projects including: establishing both an annual and perennial herb garden, adding and replacing apple trees for the purpose of fresh fruit on the lunch line, expanding the grape arbor in the school’s court yard, and involving a larger number of students in the process of growing and preserving food. The stark reality of climate change is a daily awareness when raising crops, both in the green house and in the edible landscape. The changing trend to cloudy cold days vs. sunny cold days, has required careful watering in the greenhouse, with mold a constant problem. The outdoor plantings have suffered flash drought and/or an increase in significant rain events. Monitoring the conditions necessary to harvest a good crop is a way for students to “buy in” to the need for reducing emissions.

Springfield YES! Team

Team Coach: Amanda Meyer

Solar Sidewalks

Five years ago, the Springfield YES! Team raised money to purchase and install motion detector-activated, solar lighting on their local river trail. These lights were removed after three years because of consistent vandalism. The team will be using the funding to install the same solar lights at ground level around the school’s sidewalks. Additionally, the team will also offer this installation to local businesses in need of additional lighting. Local electricians (L&S Electric) will be installing the lights and have agreed to include student “apprentices” in this process. Therefore, youth will be involved in the installation and will also benefit from the additional lighting. The combination of solar lighting with motion-detector capabilities reduces the amount of energy typically required for such a project. Additionally, the team is reusing materials instead of purchasing brand new lighting, minimizing manufacturing impacts on climate change.

WWG_Pop can heaters_3.2016_2Westbrook-Walnut Grove YES! Team

Team Coach: Patrick Merrick

Solar Thermal Heater

WWG_Pop can heaters_3.2016This year, the WWG Earth YES! Class is planning to build solar thermal (pop can) heaters and install them in south-facing windows in both high school buildings. The team also plans to install them in several of the city buildings that they have been monitoring using the B3 Database. The solar heaters will help reduce the schools’ (and City of Westbrook’s) heating bills and help them become one step closer to becoming “green”. As a result, they will help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the production of other greenhouse gases.

Previous Post: « Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Sustainable
Next Post: ‘Tis the season for holiday light recycling »

Primary Sidebar

Alumni Stories/Testimonial

Alumni Stories/Testimonial

“In sustainability, the best outcome is only possible through collaboration”"

- Stephanie Pederson

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign up and receive the latest news, events, and more from YES!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Footer

[email protected] 320-354-5894

Copyright © 2025 Youth Eco Solutions. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Vivid Image. Privacy Policy.