Camino Nuevo Charter Academy

As a Renewable School, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy remains committed to inspiring students to understand the science and benefits of clean, renewable energy through hands-on, interactive classroom experiences.

The project award was made possible by a partnership between several companies and organizations. FOX Broadcasting Company and American Idol first partnered with BEF, E-Village Solar and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) to "green" an American Idol finale, placing a solar-electric system on the red carpet. In 2009, these same partners brought the power of the sun to the nearby Camino Nuevo Charter Academy.

The school received the installation of a 1-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system installed on-site. Energy generation data from their system's performance data for educational purposes at the time of the project.

In 2009, educators at the school received a customized renewable energy teacher training, hands-on science kit materials to augment the school's existing curricula and complete access to the resources available on the Solar4RSchools.org website.

American Idol contestants Anoop (Noop Dogg) Desai and Lil Rounds showed they still had a large following when hundreds of students and teachers welcomed them to Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles as part of the Solar 4R Schools project celebration event. The two stars mingled with students, signed autographs and test-drove model solar cars provided by the Solar 4R Schools team during a dedication ceremony.