VERO BEACH — A group of local teens at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center are assembling solar power kits that will be used for classrooms in rural Kenya.
The Day of Service event, running from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., will see more than 30 students in grades 8 through 11 assemble 10 We Share Solar Suitcases—portable 12-volt DC systems designed to deliver electricity where it’s scarce.
Once finished, these student-built units will head to the Samburu region of northern Kenya, powering schools and community hubs that have long gone without reliable light.
The hands-on project is part of We Share Solar’s Solar Solutionary Program, a STEM initiative that blends science, technology, engineering, and math with a mission to spark curiosity and purpose in young minds. The students won’t just learn how solar panels and wiring work—they’ll see their efforts transform lives half a world away.
Funding for the suitcases comes from the Joyful Noise Charitable Foundation, which teamed up with The Learning Alliance and We Share Solar to make it happen.
In Samburu, a rugged area known for its wildlife preserves and conservation efforts, schools struggle with patchy infrastructure. Many lack the basics, like steady electricity, leaving kids and teachers in the dark—literally.
Working with Save the Elephants and Ewaso Lions, the plan is to install these 10 suitcases in local schools and gathering spots. Each unit can light up two to three classrooms and charge phones or tablets for over 7,000 students, educators, and residents.
“Around 188 million students attend schools with no electricity, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Gigi Dekko Goldman, co-founder of We Share Solar. “We Share Solar engages students in a proactive, hands-on opportunity to make a tangible impact in the lives of students on the other side of the globe. We’re thrilled to inspire Florida students and plant the seeds of local and global citizenship through this exciting sustainable energy program”
The gymnasium at Gifford Youth Achievement Center will host the event as students, guided by teachers and volunteers, snap together the kits, charge them up, and test them out—think glowing bulbs and humming devices. The real magic, organizers say, will hit between 5 and 6 p.m., when the “lightbulb moment” sinks in for these budding engineers.
Curtis Webb, the center’s director of youth programs, will be on hand alongside executive director Angelia Perry. They’ll be joined by Goldman and Anna Gomberg from We Share Solar, plus Liz Woody-Remington and Marie O’Brien from The Learning Alliance—folks who’ve poured their energy into this collaboration.
By dusk on March 27, those 10 suitcases will be ready to ship. For the students wielding the screwdrivers, it’s a lesson in science, sure—but also in how small hands can cast a big light.
The event is Thursday, March 27 from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center’s gymnasium (map), located at 📍4875 43rd Avenue in Vero Beach. The best visuals — and the anticipated “lightbulb moment” will occur around 5 – 6 p.m.
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