As Ally aptly put it, "..typically we learn something to extend our knowledge, but in this case we got to create something others will be using to learn."

Ally, a South High student who's also a UMN College in Schools scholar, is describing the learning challenge put before her and four sections of Randy Hedlund's CIS Physics classes at South High, when they teamed up with We Share Solar to create solar suitcases.

The ingenious portable boxes provided a hands-on challenge for South students to step up their knowledge of solar power and apply that to making energy connections to infuse light in darkened spaces. Doing so means remote areas in Kenya and Nepal, without power, can overcome the obstacle of darkened classrooms, so kids can learn.

The boxes not only represent a technological feat tackled by South High students, they were also an opportunity to connect with students on a relatable level by adorning the boxes with pop culture references, personal letters and photos of the students who created them. Enclosed email addresses were also SHS students' hopeful invitation for their young counterparts to write them back. 

This College in the Schools physics class at South High is a 4-credit lab course offered through the University of Minnesota.

See Mr. Hedlund's Google Slide Presentation.