Morgan Mohammed, the lead STEAM teacher at the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City recently traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska for an innovative clean-energy training program, the KidWind ReCharge Academy. Her weeklong trip, sponsored by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, allows her to bring back exciting new content for the Club’s STEAM program.
Now in its 17th year, KidWind’s REcharge Academy is a flagship educator training program focused on clean energy. The intensive training blends lectures from experts and tours of energy facilities with replicable hands-on K-12 lessons to give educators content as well as context. Mohammed was selected from over 100 applicants. She joined 31 other STEAM educators from across America at the University of Alaska – Fairbanks for this year’s program.
“It was an incredible opportunity to boost my own knowledge about clean energy, and see firsthand its potential,” said Mohammed. “We built our own windmills from common materials like cardboard and then tested the efficiency of each design. These windmills generated actual usable power. We also worked on solar energy projects, experimenting with variables such as panel angles and sunlight intensity to adjust energy output. There were a lot of veteran teachers there and I learned a lot from the other educators about how to present this content to students.”
Reflecting on the broader implications, Mohammed added, “I believe clean energy is essential alongside traditional coal and oil. We need to find a balance and recognize that we cannot sustain our current energy practices indefinitely. We have an opportunity to guide the next generation of engineers to create a brighter, cleaner future here in Atlantic City.”
The training is the first step in bringing this program to the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City. Funding is needed to purchase the STEAM kits for this program. For more information, contact Sharon D’Angio at sdangio@acbgc.org or (609) 347-2697.
About Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City:
The Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City is a nonprofit organization that has been providing a safe and nurturing environment for the youth of Atlantic City for over 50 years. Our mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. We offer a wide range of programs that focus on education, leadership, health, arts, and more, helping children and teenagers build essential life skills and develop into well-rounded individuals. For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City – visit acbgc.org, call (609) 347-2697.
