River Grove School To Install First Ever Urban Wind Turbine
Moving forward with its long commitment to promoting environmental sustainability and teaching children about the importance of "green" energy, Rhodes School in River Grove will install the first urban wind turbine in the country on Thursday, April 9.
Not only is the environmentally friendly turbine the first of its kind in the Chicago area, it is a first for any urban setting in Illinois, as well as any other state in the country. Several organizations throughout the United States have tried similar installations, but Rhodes School, located at 8931 W. Fullerton Ave. in River Grove, is the first to actually do it.
"We have a long history of advancing 'green' education and wanted to take the next step in teaching our kids about the importance of clean energy," said project coordinator and Rhodes School Director of Technology John Mertes. "This turbine allows children to learn about sustainable energy first hand while never posing a financial burden to the school or its students."
The decision to install the first-ever wind turbine in an urban setting began in the fall of 2006. After addressing community concerns and pursuing funding for over 18 months, Rhodes School was awarded over $20,000 in environment-related grant money ($10,000 from BP, $12,000 from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation) and the project moved forward.
While several rural schools in some parts of the country have access to wind turbines, they are all too large for any urban setting. As a result, children in larger cities are not able to see firsthand what a wind turbine is or how it works, making the overall concept very difficult to understand, which is the key to higher level understanding of any topic.
"The United States census lists that 80 percent of the population is centered in urban environments," said Mertes. "Therefore, 80 percent of children in this county are not able to see and learn about wind turbines first hand. Our turbine starts changing this inequity." Preparation of the turbine's foundation and wiring will begin early in the morning of Thursday, April 9, and at approximately 1pm, a crane will lift the tower and turbine to finalize installation. Media covering the event should contact John Mertes immediately for more information about attending.
About Rhodes School
Rhodes School has a rich history with promoting and teaching children about green energy. In fact, in 2005 Rhodes School was selected by Governor Quinn for his Hometown Hero Award for its Electronic Recycling Program. In 2006, the school also received a grant for its solar panel program.
SOURCE: Rhodes School