Hartford Business Journal

34 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2014 SPONSORED REPORT Education and workforce: Capitalizing on Connecticut's strengths By Lesia Winiarskyj A rmed with anemometers, volt meters, calculators, and web- mapping technology, a small group of teens at Hartford Public High School's Academy of Engineering and Green Technology (AoEGT ) worked last year to power a school in Nepal — in one of the highest-altitude villages on Earth. Their plan? Design, deliver, and assemble a hybrid power system that harnesses wind and solar energy — plentiful resources in an otherwise impoverished region. Saldang is a remote, treeless vil- lage surrounded by Himalayan moun- tain chains. At nearly 13,000 feet, it's characterized by extreme wind and weather conditions and accessible only by helicopter or yak. In the winter, heavy snows isolate the region from the rest of Nepal. There is also the matter of uneven terrain, which complicates the transport of large parts into the region and makes locating a level area to support the base of a wind turbine difficult. AoEGT students were up to the task. Knowledge Is Power The group spent months investigat- ing off-grid energy sources, costs, infra- structure challenges, logistics, and wildlife impact. They calculated wind speed and air mass, researched the local culture to en- sure a good fit with the needs and values of the community, and looked carefully at every available design and technology and how those could be customized for this unique region. The project was the brainchild of Peter Werth, director of the Werth Family Founda- tion, who came upon the Sherlri Drukda Lower Secondary School in his travels. "I was in upper Dolpa, near the Tibetan border, doing foundation work for wildlife habitat preservation," says Werth. "It took six days by foot to get to an area with a school that had 80 students, one teacher, and no electricity. These were bright kids with a strong desire to learn. I wanted to help." While it would have been easier to simply purchase the necessary equipment to power the school in Saldang, Werth saw an opportunity to engage students from his own corner of the world. The Connecticut-based Werth Foundation awarded a grant to the Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program (CPEP) to create a rich, meaningful educational experience for youth who are underrepresented in science, technology, engi- neering, and mathematics (STEM). The Saldang proj- ect was that experience. "I had seen what CPEP did with young people on other projects," says Werth, "and I was confident these students could take existing tech- nology and make it work in extreme conditions in Nepal. That was the charge sheet, and I knew they would show some real Yankee ingenuity and deliver." Lasting Impact For AoEGT student Akeem Brown, the mission hit home. "I grew up in Jamaica," he explains, "and my family didn't always have electric- ity. If I have an opportunity to help some- one else in a similar situation, I'll do it." Classmate Jazzmin Mitchell agrees. "How many times does your school give you a chance to change a whole commu- nity — to make that kind of a difference? I'm leaving my footprint." Based on their research, the team ordered a vertical axis wind turbine, solar panels, charge controller, batteries, and tower and spent the summer making electrical and design modifications to the components. One Hartford student — a native of Nepal — was tasked with translat- ing installation and operating instructions. In October 2013 the equipment was airlifted to Saldang, where it now powers not only the school but also a new prenatal care and birthing center. "This kind of project," says CPEP CEO Bruce Dixon, "has lasting impact — both on the students at Hartford's academy and those in Nepal. It's transformational." School-Business Partnerships The Connecticut Business & Indus- try Association's Education Foundation, which facilitated work among the proj- ect's business and community partners (including AoEGT corporate sponsor United Technologies Corp.), was instru- mental in AoEGT's development and de- sign, emphasizing a strong collaboration with business leaders and the integration of academic and business goals. AoEGT — one of a growing number of National Academy Foundation schools in Connecticut — shares three key com- ponents with all NAF schools, which serve primarily urban and minority student populations nationwide: rigorous curricu- Students from Hartford Public High School's Academy of Engineering and Green Technology designed and built a hybrid power system that now provides electricity to a remote village in Nepal.

• Cover