School Shorts: Bubbles, Summer School, Tech Workshop, Energy Upgrade Fundraiser

Bubbles for Education

Parents and students will be blowing bubbles Thursday morning at some Piedmont schools to protest the state's education budget cuts and to tell legislators, "Don't blow it!" Among the local schools signed up to participate in the statewide bubble protest are Havens Elementary School (8:10 a.m.), Wildwood Elementary School (8:15 a.m.) and Piedmont High School (7:15 a.m.). Read more about "This Budget Blows" in the Piedmont Patch events section and on the statewide website.

Weekend Workshop

Piedmont High School students and mentors will talk about creating a high school robotics team at a Workshop Weekend March 17-18 at Tech Liminal, a technology "salon" in Oakland. See http://whatwillyoulearn.com/ for details. The full list of workshops for the weekend is at https://whatwillyoulearn.com/catalog.

Summer Programs

The brochure for summer school classes sponsored by the Associated Parents Clubs of Piedmont is now available at apcpsummerenrichment.wordpress.com.

The program includes enrichment classes for grades K-12.

For students entering grades 9-12, the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies and Community Engagement offers summer service learning opportunities. Learn more at www.piedmontportal.org/schools/aisce/.

Energy Upgrade Fundraiser

The Associated Parents Clubs of Piedmont (APCP) has recently joined a new school fundraising program called Energize for the Prize, which helps schools raise money while promoting energy efficiency in the community.

Energy Upgrade California is a statewide rebate program (administered by StopWaste.Org in Alameda County) that saves homeowners money on a wide range of energy-efficient home improvements.

Energize for the Prize, a pilot outreach program in Alameda County, gives schools, PTAs, education foundations, and other school-related nonprofits the opportunity to earn $100 for every home that signs up for an energy upgrade. The school organization with the most upgrades by Earth Day will earn an additional $5,000.

“Energize for the Prize is a great energy conservation program. Their website makes it easy to start a home energy upgrade and get thousands of dollars in rebates to do it. It’s great for the environment, the economy and also for the schools,” says Julia Burke, fundraising coordinator for Piedmont schools support. “

At least 10 Piedmonters have already completed energy upgrades or are in the process of doing so, and APCP hopes to get credit for those upgrades while encouraging more residents to follow suit.

Home improvements like insulation, energy-efficiency furnaces, or double-paned windows can reduce energy use and lower utility bills, make homes more comfortable, and greatly improve indoor air quality. Homeowners work with a contractor to complete the upgrade, and are then eligible for rebates of up to $4,000.

Learn more about Energize for the Prize and Energy Upgrade CA, and find a list of participating contractors at EnergizeForThePrize.org.

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