Defined STEM, a curriculum supplement of Defined Learning, has announced its five-year partnership withOpTerra Energy Services and the Hawai’i Department of Education to support Ka Hei, a statewide strategic program that educates students about sustainable energy transitions happening across schools throughout the state.

The state’s schools spend $48 million a year on electricity.

The goal of the Ka Hei program, which kicked off in 2014, is to integrate innovative energy technology with meaningful learning experiences, while reducing energy costs.

As a comprehensive energy and sustainability program, Ka Hei will transform the learning environment, reduce operational expenses, and provide engaging educational opportunities for Hawai‘i’s students and community.

“We are pleased to be part of this partnership with Defined Learning and OpTerra to create such a versatile educational experience for Hawai‘i’s students,” said Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Support Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Mulcahy. “We live in one of the most isolated places in the world, and we are stewards of the land we love. We need to take care of our land by using our renewable resources. Our students are the future, and we need to educate them about how to keep our island beautiful.”

OpTerra is designing and implementing a wide range of new energy technologies that will lower costs and help schools across the islands become more sustainable.

To date, energy experts from Defined Learning and OpTerra teams have given more than 300 teachers hands-on professional development to analyze scalable technology such as wind turbines and solar panels in their classrooms.

“The Hawai‘i DOE and Defined Learning are great partners in educating students about initiatives happening in their own backyard,” said OpTerra National Education Manager Dawn Johnson. “Together we will create a sustainable and energy-efficient environment, while helping students understand the importance of protecting the land they know and love.”

The Defined STEM curriculum is available to all 256 schools across the state’s eight islands, which form one large school district. Grade-specific lessons give teachers an understanding of green initiatives that can be used in their classrooms.

Defined STEM performance tasks challenge students with hands-on projects that include research and engaging videos that align with the Common Core and the newly adopted Next Generation Science Standards.

In completing the tasks, students will learn core principles of science and will see the relevance of community initiatives, such as moving to solar energy, limiting waste, encouraging recycling and reducing water usage with low-flow toilets.

They will also discover potential careers related to sustainable energy.