New Youth Energy Teams

The 09-10 Youth Energy Summit (YES!) season is underway with area teams from Marshall, Springfield, Westbrook-Walnut Grove, Windom, Tracy, Redwood Falls Area High School, St. James,  Lake Crystal Welcome Memorial, New Ulm High School, and the New Ulm Putting Green in the southern region.  The northern YES! teams are coordinated by Anne Dybsetter from the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center. The northern region includes teams from Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (ACGC), Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian (BOLD), Canby, Eden Valley-Watkins, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop (GFW), Hutchinson, Lac qui Parle Valley (LQPV), Litchfield, Morris Area, New London-Spicer, Ortonville, Willmar, and Yellow Medicine East. Students in the program range from grade 8 to high school seniors.

Many of these “green” teens came together at Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) in Marshall on Oct. 20th for the annual Youth Energy Summit & Southwest Minnesota Career Fair & Expo.  Students in attendance met with energy professionals, explored education & careers in energy, and met with other YES! Students from both the northern & southern regions of YES!.  It was an exciting day full of energy education, idea sharing, & team building. The summit also began laying the foundation of finding each team’s community energy needs, establishing each team’s mission & roles, as well as identifying people, organizations & business connections in their communities to work with to implement their projects.

To view more photos of events see photo pages!

Several YES! Teams are exploring projects in awareness & education, from teaching elementary students about renewable, to starting an inter-generational dialog with adults in their community to discuss their city’s energy future. Many of the teams are looking to save energy by starting a recycling program in their schools, or meeting with school boards & custodial staffs to make their schools more efficient. Some teams have expressed interest in red worm composting trenches to turn cafeteria food waste into rich soil that will yield locally produced foods.  A few teams are considering fabrication of their own wind turbine, or solar panels. Other projects include a “green roof” which can combine the efficient use of space, local foods, natural lighting, a rainwater catch, and a solar electric panel for power creation. A good share of the teams are also donating time & muscle to help other city projects like building new parks, and various community cleanup days.

The YES! Students are abuzz with energy, and realize their actions today will impact their social, environmental, and economic future. Community members are encouraged to show their support for local YES! teams.
YES! 2009-2010 is administered by the Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF), implemented through partnerships with Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center and Prairie Ecology Bus Center and funded in part by the Southwest and Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundations and the Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace: An Alliance for Talent Development. 

All slots for the 2009-2010 YES! program are currently filled or pending. For more information, visit www.youthenergysummit.com, or call SWIF at 800-594-9480.

Eligible participants will reside within 36 counties of south-central, southwest, and west-central Minnesota. See www.mnrem.org for a complete list. For more information about YES!, visit www.youthenergysummit.com, email sayyes@swifoundation.org or call 800-594-9480. YES! 2009-2010, administered by the Southwest Initiative Foundation and inplemented through partnerships with Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center and Prairie Ecology Bus Center, and is funded in part through a grant from the Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace (MNREM): an Alliance for Talent Development.