Austin Energy’s EVs for Schools program wins two awards

This week, Austin’s EVs for Schools program made headlines for providing electric vehicle charging stations to Akins, Lanier and Travis high schools and Kealing Middle School. Fast Company recognized the initiative in its 2019 World Changing Ideas Awards and the program received a 2019 Smart 50 Award at the Smart Cities Connect Gala in Denver. Along with the charging stations, the EVs for Schools initiative provides AISD teachers with a related curriculum that allows teachers and students to use the stations to collect data and measure usage for STEM-related projects on electric vehicles, green energy and sustainable mobility. The program began in November 2018 with the goal of educating city residents about the power of electricity. “Ensuring we included schools with significant representation of low-income students is important to demonstrate that these new technologies are accessible and for everyone,” said Amy Atchley, Austin Energy’s senior project lead for the program. Now that the city utility has been awarded for its work combating one of the major issues facing humanity, there is almost no likelihood that this innovative EV technology will slow down.