The Souderton Area High School's SAVE (Students Against Violating the Earth) group will have their "solar chimney" featured on an upcoming Green is Universal segment with NBC-10's reporter Terry Ruggles.
"SAVE is improvising on a 'solar chimney' design, using recycled and inexpensive and easily obtained materials to help cool a building with the sun, rather than electricity," according to advisor Ken Hamilton, an environmental science teacher at the school. "We used plywood, 2' x 4' lumber, sheet metal and an old glass door to construct the simple model."
The segment will air three times on NBC 10 on Friday, August 7, 2009 during the morning (5:45 am and 6:45 am) and 5 o'clock evening newscast (last half hour of broadcast), as well as on Sunday morning.
Ruggles recently viewed the chimney at the group's Student Environmental Education Campus (SEEC). The SEEC grew from an unused plot of land on a district elementary school to a campus where students take responsibility for cutting edge and experimental projects like the "solar chimney." Built by students and more than 70 different community businesses that donated supplies, funds and professionals, the campus houses summer camps for elementary school children, an alternative watering system, nature center and a demonstration home filled with green products and ideas to share with the community. Managed and maintained entirely by students, the campus has also won two national awards, including the Presidential Environmental Youth Award presented by President George W. Bush.
Their goal is to test and implement the design and use of recycled materials at home as well as in third-world countries where electricity is not available. With the help of student volunteers, the design is already being used in time shares on the island of Tortola by Jack Althouse, of Althouse, Jaffe and Associates, a local architect and key program volunteer who helped the students design and construct the demonstration house. Althouse and the students also hope to include the chimney in plans for a hospital in Africa.
"This innovative program is an illustration of the quality public education in Bucks and Montgomery counties," said Linda Weaver, a leader of the Council for the Advancement of Public Schools (CAPS).
To learn more about SAVE, visit http://www.wix.com/savealliance/SAVEalliance.
