The Solar Suitcase Learning Kit: Real Hardware, Real Engineering, Ready for Your Classroom
What's Included
Everything, down to the multimeter. Nothing to source separately.
Then it comes apart and goes back together, so it runs again next period, next semester, next year.
Where This Fits in Your Day
You do not have to build a new course around this. It fits the one you already teach. No matter where this kit fits in your program, there is a funding source to support it, like Perkins V, state STEM grants, and more.
- Engineering and CTE pathways: A full systems build: specify the load, size the components, wire it, test it, troubleshoot it. Students work the same sequence a solar technician works on a job site.
- Physics: Voltage, current, power, and energy stop being formulas the moment a student has to size a battery that will actually run a light for four hours.
- Environmental science: Renewable energy generation, storage, and load management, on equipment students can put their hands on instead of read about.
- After-school, summer, and service learning: A build with a finish line and a reason. Programs that need student engagement and a story for families and funders get both here.
Real Teachers. Real Students. Real Solar. See it in Action.
See the Solar Suitcase Learning Kit in action in real classrooms, then watch We Care Solar’s recent feature on ‘Good Day Chicago’- where educators and students share what happens when real solar engineering comes to school.
See We Care Solar in Action in Chicago Schools - Watch the segment starting at time stamp 1:34:00.
How Teachers Are Creating the Next Generation of Solar Solutionaries
The Solar Suitcase Learning Kit puts real solar technology in students’ hands, the same technology powering life-saving clinics and resource-limited schools in East Africa. Students are not simulating engineering. They are doing the version of it that people depend on.
"This program provides not only the wonderful hands-on experience of building a solar suitcase, but offers a thorough curriculum to support students and their learning about solar applications in real-world scenarios."
"Instead of just reading about solar energy or looking at a diagram, they’ll be able to set up the solar panel, collect real data, charge the battery, power a light, and see firsthand how changing different variables affects the system. I think even some of my students who are normally hesitant to participate in traditional group work will want to get involved because there is something tangible for them to investigate."
Have Questions?
Let's talk about how to turn your students into Solar Innovators!