Rotary Centennial Project benefits Cali Calmécac

Roof-top solar panels will provide savings for years to
come
by Nathan Wright, Staff Writer
Cali Calmécac Charter School will be the 2004 recipient of
Windsor Rotary’s $25,000 community grant. It is the local Rotarians
International Centennial Project.
“Our dream is to install a six kilowatt solar electric system on
our new two story classroom that is scheduled for completion in
January,” wrote Windsor Educational Foundation President Shannan
Johnson in a grant proposal that impressed the Rotary Club.
“We got a fantastic proposal from Shannan at the school, and it
made us see the worth of that program,” said Windsor Rotary
President Susan Cole. “It will be so beneficial to the school. I
think it will be a legacy from the Windsor Rotary Club to the
children in this community. That’s what we’re all about.”
The solar panels, which will be installed on the top of a two
story classroom in the back of the campus, will supply the school
with power while providing energy Cali Calmécac can sell back to
the power company if there is an excess. A similar project has
already been completed at Oak Grove School in Graton. That project
was featured at the World Sustainability Conference in Durban,
South Africa last year.
“We’re excited because it isn’t a one time grant,” said Cali
Calmécac Principal Ginger Dale. “By saving energy, it’s going to
generate funding for years. That’s what’s so special about this
grant.”
The Rotary Club gave a grant to Windsor Creek Elementary School
last year, which went toward building a campus greenhouse. The Cali
Calmécac project will celebrate 100 years of Rotary service in
2005.
“I’m just really thrilled that the Rotary wanted to contribute
to such a forward- thinking project that’s going to make a
difference for the next 35 years, or longer,” said Johnson.
The school will also use the solar project as part of its Garden
and Ecology Program. “The program’s goal is to create a more
ecological schoolyard, integrate the growing, cooking and eating of
food into the curriculum, and offer a practical and hands-on way of
connecting our students with their environment,” Johnson said. The
solar project will add to that curriculum, offering Cali students
an opportunity for lessons in applied science, math and
ecology.
In appreciation for the grant, Cali Calmécac will place a plaque
on campus thanking Windsor Rotary Club.