Videos to Watch

Educational Guides

How to bring affordable, sustainable electricity to Africa — In this TED Talk, Rose M. Mutiso discusses how a balanced mix of solutions like solar, wind farms, geothermal power and modern grids could create a high-energy future for Africa, providing reliable electricity, creating jobs and raising incomes.

Ending Energy Poverty Saves Lives and the Planet — In this video by the United Nations, Damilola Ogunbiyi, a Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, discusses ending energy poverty and providing clean energy for all.

What is Energy Poverty? — This one-minute animated video showcases the effect of energy poverty on community health and children’s education.

Understand Goal 7: Affordable Clean Energy — This animated video explains the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 7: Affordable Clean Energy, and how clean energy can be utilized to protect the earth.

Educational Guides

Energy Potential — This teaching guide discusses energy for grades 3 to 8, diving deep into energy systems and the causes of energy poverty.

Understanding Energy Poverty and Using Clean Energy at Home — This resource from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University explains the effect that a lack of access to clean, renewable energy sources can have on both climate and human health.

Lighting Up Lives — This classroom guide by Earth Matters contains informational and interactive activities for students and children to engage in to learn about the energy divide.

Introduction to Energy Poverty — This educational guide contains multiple fact cards going over the science behind energy efficiency, policies, and technologies combatting energy poverty.

Articles to Read

Kids Books

Energy poverty and indoor air pollution: a problem as old as humanity that we can end within our lifetime — This article explores the global scarcity for modern energy sources such as cooking and heating in homes, resulting in indoor air pollution (Our World in Data).

Could the U.S. End Energy Poverty? — The United States has the funds and money to end global energy poverty and burden. This article explores the calculations behind this (Union of Concerned Scientists).

Ending global energy poverty - how can we do better? — This article by the World Economic Forum discusses the current mistakes we are making in targeting energy poverty more effectively (The World Economic Forum).

Kids Books

Energy Animated by Tyler Jorden (Author) and Elsa Martins (Illustrator)

Energy: Heat, Light, and Fuel by Darlene Ruth Stille (Author) and Sheree Boyd (Illustrator)

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Running on Sunshine: How Does Solar Energy Work? by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano (Author) and Giovana Medeiros (Illustrator)

Volunteering Resources

Websites for Kids

13 Best Renewable Energy Volunteer Opportunities — This site page contains a collection of 13 great renewable energy volunteer opportunities abroad in areas such as solar power and wind.

Solar Village Project — Join the Solar Village Project’s global community of volunteers to help bring clean, reliable and sustainable access to electricity to those living in energy poverty.

Addressing Global Energy Poverty — This page by Giving Compass contains several volunteering and donation opportunities for readers to directly work with.

Volunteer with MREA — For those in the Midwest USA, get involved with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living in your community.

Volunteer Match — Volunteer match provides a search engine to connect with local volunteer opportunities in a specific area of interest.

More Information

NeoK12 — Provides a handful of educational videos introducing solar energy and power for grades 4 - 12.

BeGreenMyFriend — Provides a collection of online energy games for kids to explore the importance of clean energy and solar education.

NamastesolarProvides an overview of educational approaches and resources for learning about climate change and solar energy for different age groups.

Nonprofits Focused on Alleviating
Energy Poverty

Solar Sister — Solar Sister combines the breakthrough potential of solar and clean cooking technology with a deliberately woman-centered direct sales network to bring light, hope and opportunity to even the most remote communities in rural Africa.

SolarBuddy — SolarBuddy is an Australian charity uniting a global community with a big dream to gift six million solar lights to children living in energy poverty by 2030, to help them to study after dusk and improve their education outcomes.

Solar Aid — SolarAid is a nonprofit organization specializing in providing access to safe, reliable solar energy solutions to communities living without access to electricity in Africa.

KiloWatts for Humanity — KiloWatts for Humanity provides first-time access to electrification where it is needed most. From site assessment and fundraising to technical design and proper training, it provides complete renewable energy solutions that are life-changing and sustainable.

Solar Electric Light Fund — SELF designs and implements solar projects for disadvantaged communities around the world to advance their levels of healthcare, education, water and food security, and economic development. Specifically, it designs and implements solar projects for disadvantaged communities around the world.

Indigenized Energy Initiative (IEI) — The mission of the Indigenized Energy Initiative is to use the power of solar to eliminate poverty in Native American communities, and diminish climate change.

Let There Be Light International — Let There Be Light International has helped more than 900,000 people in off-grid Africa gain access to solar energy in their homes and health clinics.

Sources: MiniBooks

Resources linked on this page are created by third party organizations and do not necessarily reflect the values, opinions, or beliefs of Alltruists. Although Alltruists aims to provide family-friendly and age-appropriate content for children, adults should always be present in providing supervision while children explore resources on this page.