REpowering Schools awards outstanding educators at the K-12 or college level who educate the future of the renewable energy industry
REpowering Schools, an organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation of the renewable energy workforce, has partnered with EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA), the nation’s fourth-largest wind energy producer, to announce the winners of the 2021 Outstanding Educator Awards. REpowering Schools and EDPR NA are joining forces to ensure a robust renewable energy workforce for generations to come.
This year’s award-winning educators include: Kathy Jackson, Director and Founder of SpiritWind Kidz Ranch in Oklahoma; Nina Corley, Science Department Chair and Teacher at O’Connell College Preparatory School in Galveston, Texas; and four educators with the North American Wind Energy Academy (NAWEA)—Tom Acker, James Manwell, Andy Swift, and Susan Stewart.
REpowering Schools is a 501c3 organization working with educators and the renewable energy industry as well as coordinating with national and state government projects to support programming and opportunities to engage and train a diverse and sustained renewable energy workforce. The REpowering Schools’ 2021 Outstanding Educator Awards winners were chosen based on their work to engage in and provide well-rounded renewable energy education. Some promotion activities include leading extracurricular clubs and communities, hosting community engagement events, or teaching renewable energy courses for undergrads and grads.
REpowering Schools joins giants in the industry, including EDPR NA, to ensure workforce education is the most up to date. Through its work with REpowering Schools, EDPR NA is committed to furthering social advances in sustainability and educational attainment. EDPR NA has been a long-term supporter of renewable energy education through its “Wind Experts” social investment program and is proud to recognize the educators leading the future of the green energy workforce.
“It is a humbling honor to be nominated and selected for this award by industry partners and educational cohorts. The hours teachers put into their work, myself included, is so often overshadowed by the scurrying of a day,” says Kathy Jackson. “For me, this award acknowledges the dedication, time, and energy put forth by our amazing team of teachers and volunteers. We do this together!”
“We are excited to receive the award because it recognizes the importance of university-level wind energy education, as well as acknowledges the contributions of many people throughout the wind energy community and at the universities that have worked to get the WindU consortium started,” states award winner Dr. Tom Acker.
“It is both an honor and a privilege to be recognized as a 2021 Outstanding Educator from Repowering Schools for my work in renewable energy education. There is nothing more exciting than being able to share something with your students that you are passionate about, to see them embrace what they have learned about renewable energy in your classroom, not just adopting that same passion but also using the tools that you have given them to go forward, seeking to learn more and working towards making the world a better place for everyone,” says Nina Corley. “Renewable energy education allows students to not only learn about renewable energy but also to recognize that they have the power to do something that can make a difference in this world, whether it is through the choices they make in their everyday lives or their career choices. They have the power to make a difference.”
REpowering Schools and EDPR NA join together in congratulating the winners on their hard-earned accomplishments and are grateful for their ongoing support of the renewable energy industry.
“We are proud to partner with and support REpowering Schools in their mission to educate students and communities about renewable energy,” says Bevan Augustine, EDPR NA External Communications Manager. “REpowering Schools works to increase the diversity, knowledge, and skillsets of the next generation of energy professionals as we advance toward a clean energy future, and this is a purpose EDP Renewables is grateful to support.”
Learn more about these organizations at
REpoweringschools.org & edpr.com
The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
