On Oct. 2nd, 2018 we sat down with current Bozeman High School Sophomore, Claire Vlases, who as a 7th grader at Sacajawea Middle School, initiated a project to bring solar electricity to the new addition then being planned for her school. Her awards include the 2018 International Young Eco-Hero award, The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heros, and The U.S. Green Building Council of MT Community Change Award.

Bozeman School District Facility Manager, Todd Swineheart,  tells us that  with the $32,000 residual funds from the Sacajawea Solar Project, which came in far under budget due to the plummeting cost of solar energy,  they were able to get a North Western Energy Universal System Benefit Grant of $48,000, which the Bozeman Unified School District has matched to install solar energy on The Hyalite and Meadowlark Schools this Fall, 2018. In addition, there are plans to install solar panels at another local school in 2019.

The website for the Solar Makes Sense Committee is https://solarschool.weebly.com/

Photo: Claire Vlases with Sacajawea Middle School Principal, Gordon Grissom, in front of solar installation.