Empowering Tomorrow’s Innovators: Inside NREL’s STEM Education Center

Nov. 8, 2024 | By Madelyn Weirich | Contact media relations

Two children hold up a craft project. — Children attending Sitka Sprouts at the Sitka Sound Science Center in Sitka, Alaska, learn about renewable energy through storytelling and activities. The event was part of the community's work with the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project. *Photo by Brittany Falch, NREL*

In classrooms and community centers across Colorado and beyond, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) STEM Education team is doing its part to transform how young minds approach renewable energy during their years in school.

But it’s not just about curriculum or programming—it’s about inspiration.

The team’s mission is to show young people that they have a place in the fight for renewable energy, regardless of their backgrounds. Their approach is clear: build excitement, make it real, and help every student see themselves as part of the solution.

As the content, curriculum design, and implementation lead for the Education Center, Meghan Pearson said that students often come to her with the same feedback: “I thought this was going to be boring, but it was awesome.”

Seeing this inspiration in students who otherwise may have never considered science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is what Pearson most loves about her job.

A group of students look at model wind turbines with a fan behind them. — Fifth- and sixth-grade students from Pioneer Charter School work on a wind turbine experiment during a field trip to NREL's Education Center to learn about renewable energy. *Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL*

The Power of Hands-On Learning

At the heart of this inspiration and excitement is the power of hands-on learning. There is a certain magic in letting students roll up their sleeves, work with their hands, and explore complex ideas in real, tangible ways. Instead of pages in a textbook, they are creating model wind turbines, running solar cells through efficiency tests, and taking field trips to NREL’s labs, where renewable energy technology lives and breathes.

When creating content, Pearson’s goal is that through these programs students will be able to see themselves in the lab one day.

“I want kids to understand that passion in science and curiosity is more important than a grade in science,” Pearson said. “This all leads toward the idea of a STEM identity. We want kids to have a strong STEM identity so that when science becomes challenging they are excited to push through rather than stress about “being bad at science.”

When her daughter was younger, NREL employee Sara Farrar organized field trips for her class so that the students could see the work being done at NREL and how it applied to what they were learning about in class.

“Those kind of crystallizing moments or lightbulb moments for them being able to see things in person was certainly gratifying,” Farrar said.

Several high school students standing at a table outside build miniature solar-powered race cars. — Students make last-minute adjustments to their vehicles as they compete in NREL's 24th Solar and Lithium-Ion Car Races held at Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton, Colorado. Nearly 300 students on 74 teams from 21 Colorado Schools competed. *Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL*

The STEM Education Center offers a variety of programs for K–12 students, including in-person tours of NREL’s facilities, STEM story times, and researchers visiting the classroom.

For young adults, a long list of collegiate competitions is available to boost students’ careers and provide valuable mentorship opportunities. The Solar District Cup, for example, challenges students to design distributed energy systems for mixed-use campuses or districts in a way that rethinks energy generation, management, and use. They are provided with access to industry professionals and trainings

The Transforming Energy podcast discusses NREL’s impactful and comprehensive approach to education initiatives aimed at cultivating the next generation of clean energy leaders, emphasizing the importance of cultivating STEM identity and fostering diversity and inclusion.

Farrar now serves as the principal investigator for the Solar District Cup after transitioning from the same role for the Solar Decathlon. She attributes a large part of her career in STEM to her own involvement in a collegiate competition as a student.

“They launch careers for sure,” she said. “We help [the students] with networking. We help them with resume building and prospective interview content to be competitive as they pursue internships or entry-level career positions in a field related to the competition effort.”

As she pursued a successful career in STEM, however, Farrar often found herself fighting against stereotypes that excluded girls from math and science when she was a child. The teachers and mentors that believed in her were what ultimately shaped her passion for ensuring other students have the same opportunities.

A student holds up in front of her face a scientific device she is working on. — Students and teachers of Denver Jewish Day School visit NREL's Education Center for a STEM Education Program including hands-on activities geared toward elementary students. *Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL*

Reaching Every Student

For this reason, a central piece of NREL’s mission is inclusivity—making sure STEM education is accessible for everyone. This means going beyond traditional outreach and building bridges to underserved and underrepresented communities. By partnering with local schools and nonprofits, NREL is creating opportunities for students who may not have otherwise imagined themselves in a STEM field.

“We try to spark the interest particularly of underrepresented students in STEM disciplines through what are called ‘culturally relevant learning opportunities,’” STEM Education Outreach Coordinator Tom Mason said. “How do we make [renewable energy] relevant to their daily lives? And how do we introduce them to role models at NREL who are representative of these students and their identities and their culture and their own experiences?”

Mason emphasized that diversity in the STEM field is crucial to the advancement of renewable energy.

“We need people from all backgrounds and from multiple countries coming together to solve these problems, because then they generate new ideas that maybe we haven't even thought of before,” Mason said.

Through community partnerships, mentoring programs, and inclusive STEM camps, NREL is showing students that they have the power to make a difference in solving the world’s energy challenges. By reaching across barriers, the team is helping students imagine themselves in STEM careers and opening doors to new opportunities.

A row of students line up behind homemade electric toy cars. — Colorado students compete in the Middle School Electric Car Competition held at Dakota Ridge High School. The annual competition is sponsored by NREL, DOE's Office of Science, the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, Jefferson County Schools, and Dakota Ridge High School. *Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL*

Investing in Today’s Change-Makers

Students leave NREL’s programs with confidence that they can drive positive change. They are not just learning—they are growing into roles that they may have once thought were out of reach and realizing that their ideas, curiosity, and problem-solving abilities can make a difference.

However, the resources are not just applicable to students.

NREL also provides opportunities for educators, such as the STEM Teacher and Researcher program, which provides future K–12 STEM teachers firsthand experience in applied research settings.

High school teachers can also apply for professional development programs that focus on providing materials and curriculum that integrate the latest renewable energy research into chemistry and physics classes.

To access all the resources available through NREL’s STEM Education Center, head to their website.