Learning Sustainability Through Real-World Experience

What happens when students can move beyond the textbook and explore sustainable energy firsthand? At Gerald Huesken Middle School, Mr. Matt Maisano’s Sustainable Learning Center is turning classroom concepts into hands-on discoveries.

Made possible by a $64,935 grant from the Conestoga Valley Education Foundation (CVEF), the Sustainable Learning Center gives students opportunities to explore renewable energy, analyze real-world data, and see how sustainable technologies can be applied in everyday life. The project includes a 32.4-kilowatt rooftop solar panel system, a small off-grid solar and wind system, and a solar-powered greenhouse—all designed to bring STEM, technology education, and mathematics to life.

During a recent visit, we had the opportunity to observe students putting their knowledge to work. The lesson began with students becoming “experts” in one of four renewable energy sources: wind, solar, hydroelectric, or geothermal. After researching their assigned source, students returned to their groups to teach their classmates how it works, along with its advantages and disadvantages. Students listened, asked questions, and explored the trade-offs involved in choosing different energy sources.

Then it was time to head outside!

Students gathered around a portable solar panel connected to a generator that was powering Mr. Maisano’s gas-powered electric car. He explained how the system worked and even gave students a peek under the hood to see the car’s unusual setup. Their curiosity continued as they examined the solar panels on the school’s roof and learned how an inverter converts direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) for use in the building.

The class also explored the solar-powered greenhouse and outdoor planters. In the greenhouse, a solar panel powers a pump used for hydroponic growing, offering another practical example of how renewable energy can support food production.

Back in the classroom, students turned their attention to the numbers. Using the solar monitoring system, Mr. Maisano showed them the panels’ current energy output—which was relatively low on a cloudy day. Students then worked through the math to compare the cost of installing the solar panels with what the school spends on electricity. It was a real-world exercise in energy production, financial analysis, and long-term savings.

Throughout the lesson, students were engaged, curious, and eager to test their ideas. They offered thoughtful hypotheses, asked questions, and connected what they had learned to the technology right in front of them.

That is what makes the Sustainable Learning Center so valuable: students aren't just learning about sustainability. They are observing it, investigating it, measuring it, and considering how it works in the real world.

CVEF is proud to support innovative learning opportunities like this one. Through Mr. Maisano’s Sustainable Learning Center, students are developing the critical thinking, problem-solving, and STEM skills that will help them understand the technologies shaping our future.

This is learning that goes beyond the classroom—and an inspiring example of what CVEF grants make possible for CV students.