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Special to the Times

Starting on Friday, Feb. 4, the LaFayette High School senior class of 50 students is invited to participate in the six-week PowerUp! Challenge, an educational initiative brought to them by a partnership between SOLV Energy, Heart of America and Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI), says a Chambers County School District press release.

The PowerUp! Challenge encourages students to dive deeper into their relationship with energy and share conservation strategies that could be implemented in their own communities. CCSD Superintendent Casey Chambley noted this is a great way to expand project-based learning opportunities for students.

The LaFayette High School auditorium will host the PowerUp! Challenge assembly on Friday, Feb. 4 at 9 a.m. Guest speaker Devon Mackey with SOLV Energy will discuss his career path along with an overview of the Challenge presented to the students.

Judges for the PowerUp! Challenge will represent a wide range of leaders across Chambers County. CCSD Board President Jeffrey Finch will chair the committee of judges. Joining Mr. Finch will be LaFayette City Mayor Kenneth Vines, Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Director Carrie Royster and Camp Marannook Director Taylor Teel.

LHS Principal Nick Davis will serve as the committee’s administrative contact, and Ambreka Chappell, a science teacher at LHS, will be coordinating the project initiative with her senior students. Dr. Travis Smith with UNITE, Inc. will be sponsoring PowerUp! sweatshirts for all of the participating seniors in the Challenge along with additional Good Energy swag provided by SOLV Energy.

The student entries for the PowerUp! Challenge are due on Friday, March 18. Judges will then review and score the entries submitted for competition during the week of Monday, March 28 to Friday, April 1. Winners will be announced for first, second and third place, tentatively set for Monday, April 4. Scholarship awards range from $1500 to $500 for winners along with Goal Zero solar products.

Chambley is thrilled that the CCSD is the first school district in the state of Alabama to partner with SOLV Energy for the 2022 PowerUP! Challenge. SOLV Energy representative Jennifer Hershman and Heart of America representative Jill Hardy Heath will be making their first visit to Alabama from their home offices in San Diego, California and Minnetonka, Minnesota to launch the initiative. They will arrive in Chambers County on Wednesday, Feb. 2 and tour the schools across the district with Chambley on Thursday, Feb. 3.