After our first prototype, we started the hunt for a more prominent goal. We first met a company specialized in buying and selling renewable energy. We did lots of research looking for the best type of renewable energy we could implement in our daily life; photovoltaic panels were the answer. We had an idea to start a small school sponsored project, but the school told us to think globally and do a plan to make our school 100% powered by solar energy. The project is dividing the goal into some steps, 10% of our school sponsored by our school and some companies and the other 90% would come shortly.

We believe that in order to have a sustainable project we must fulfill the three pillars of sustainability; the social pillar, the economic pillar, and the environmental pillar. LUX fits in these pillars not only because solar energy employs more than coal, or because it emits way less CO2 than other energy sources, nor because it is getting cheap, but also because LUX inspires. Inspires others to change. It proves to everyone that it doesn’t matter who you are, or if everyone is against you. What matters is how hard you try to make the change, what matters is your persistence! No matter how small you are, how powerless you feel, everything is achievable, everything doable, anything is attainable! That is what LUX inspires. LUX does not only inspires others, but it also inspires us. It inspires us to continually grow and invest our time, resources and knowledge on the project. We have received some significant donations from business partners that aim for a better future. Next year, we plan to take it to the next level by making our school 100% reliable on solar energy and installing a 10mw/h solar plant in pernambuco´s semi-arid region. That is what LUX inspires us to.

After our first prototype, we started the hunt for a more prominent goal. We first met a company specialized in buying and selling renewable energy. We did lots of research looking for the best type of renewable energy we could implement in our daily life; photovoltaic panels were the answer. We had an idea to start a small school sponsored project, but the school told us to think globally and do a plan to make our school 100% powered by solar energy. The project is dividing the goal into some steps, 10% of our school sponsored by our school and some companies and the other 90% would come shortly. Learning goal: Save the environment. Without changing our daily habits and profiting in the process.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1x3NuFyWnRbxnaXrAoCo5LqcRJe1aOWIJFBzLOGgRv68/edit?usp=sharing

Grupo Primavera is an organization in the city of Campinas with the purpose of taking care of children in a less fortunate community. It started out with the idea of teaching girls, after school, how to sew, dance and many other skills in order to prevent them from spending their afternoons in the street where they are exposed to a lot of prostitution and drug dealing and open up their opportunities to go to college and see a world outside their neighbourhood. As Grupo Primavera grew, accepting not only girls but boys aswell, we learned about it visited the location many times, each with a different purpose of helping them in a different way. Recently, they bought new land, but have no money to do anything with it. We took this opportunity, knowing that the location doesn’t offer any facilities for sports, to raise money and organize donations where an opportunity to build a soccer field would be granted. Knowing these kids, and having worked with them before, we realise how much it would mean for them to have a soccer ball, some goal posts, and a palace to play soccer. Through soccer, we are hoping to create a friendly environment where the children can build friendships, compete, and do what they like, without being exposed to the dangerous neighbourhood outside Grupo Primavera.

Keeping a soccer field maintained in an area where hundreds of kids will use it is challenging. Our plan is to give Grupo Primavera a headstart by gifting them the soccer field as a donation. Since they are self-sufficient through donations, they will take over the preservation of the field. Our student group will be doing Bake Sales to fundraise for the purchase of the balls, nets and goals. Next year, our goal is to seek donations of playground equipment and other infrastructure that people would be willing to donate, so that we can give the children at Grupo Primavera a enjoyable and safe place to have fun. To get this donations we will aim primarily at parents and grandparents whose children or grandchildren have already grown up and instead of throwing away, they can gift other children the opportunity of fun, that would not have because of their financial situation. It is a good cause that everybody can get involved and help to put a smile on the faces of hundreds of children, and this is the magic of it.

We learned about Grupo Primavera and visited the location many times. Recently, they bought new land, but have no money to do anything with it. We took this opportunity, knowing that the location doesn’t offer any facilities for sports, to raise money and organize donations where an opportunity to build a soccer field would be granted. Knowing these kids, and having worked with them before, we realise how much it would mean for them to have a soccer ball, some goal posts, and a place to play soccer. We are hoping to create a friendly environment where the children can build friendships, practice and compete without being exposed to the dangerous neighbourhood outside Grupo Primavera. We also want to brainstorm ideas for our grand opening of the soccer field.

We first decided to make a project to help refugees, which we think is huge world problem. We found an organisation which helps refugees, and we decided help this organisation. We made campaign in our school, and we gathered hygiene materials to donate to the organisation.