LightsOut Ohio^TM 2010
Student Energy Savers^TM Grant Drawing

Terms and Conditions

K-12 Schools in Ohio Sierra Club’s Portage Trail Group region* are invited to enter a drawing to win a $5,000 grant to be applied toward energy efficiency improvements for their school building. Eligibility for the drawing is based on the school’s participation in the Student Energy Savers Grant Drawing, which is part of the LightsOut Ohio 2010 program.

LightsOut Ohio is an Earth Day program where people turn off non-essential lighting in schools, in the workplace and at home. It is an engaging and interactive program for everyone to take an active role in making energy-saving choices in their daily lives. LightsOut Ohio offers several program elements for schools on Earth Day including:

• Turning off non-essential lights in some student areas during school hours

• The teaching of energy related lessons, several of which are available through links on the Lightsoutohio.org web site.

• Take-home assignments related to using energy more efficiently at home – also available through the Lightsoutohio.org web site.

The Student Energy Savers Grant Drawing provides prescribed participation goals for schools. Those schools who reach those goals will be entered into a random drawing in which a single school will be selected to receive a $5,000 grant.

By confirming their intent to participate using the online version of the LightsOut Ohio School Registration form, the school agrees to the following terms and conditions.

Student Energy Savers Registration Requirements:

1. A qualifying institution must be a K-12 public, private, parochial or charter school in either Summit, Stark, Portage, Medina, Ashland, Carroll, Holmes, Tuscarawas, Wayne or Harrison County.

2. The school must be signed up as a participant in the LightsOut Ohio program for Earth Day, April 22, 2010. Schools may register for the LightsOut Ohio program either online at www.LightsOutOhio.org, or by fax at 330-319-8121. Deadline for registration is April 20, 2010. Either individual schools or entire districts may register for the LightsOut Ohio program.

3. To participate in the Student Energy Savers Grant Drawing, which is a subset of the LightsOut Ohio program, each individual school must confirm its intent to participate through the LightsOutOhio.org web site. The school must confirm by checking the Student Energy Savers box on the school registration form in order to confirm that they understand these terms and conditions.

4. For public schools intending to participate in the Student Energy Savers Grant Drawing, their confirmation implies that they have received permission from their superintendent’s office to do so, and that the public school administration will allow grant funding to be applied toward energy efficiency improvements for the building.

5. Even if the public school district administration has registered for LightsOut Ohio, a public school must still designate separately through the on-line form that they intend to participate in Student Energy Savers.

Qualifications for the Drawing:

To qualify to be entered into the Student Energy Savers Grant Drawing, the school must complete the following requirements:

1. Indicate their intent to participate in the Student Energy Savers Grant Drawing per the instructions above.

2. Turn off some non-essential lights during schools hours for AT LEAST ONE HOUR on Earth Day, April 22, 2010. Such lighting must include at least portions of space occupied by students, such as classrooms and/or hallways where sufficient natural light is available. Schools will use their discretion to determine how much lighting must be left on in order to assure safety and for the school to function properly.

3. Have a minimum of sixty percent (60%) of the enrolled students complete and turn in to the school take-home assignment about using energy more efficiently in the home. The LightsOutOhio.org web site contains two grade-appropriate exercises that may be used:

Tracking Wasted Energy Used for Lighting - Recommended for grades K through 5.

Appliance Usage Check List - Recommend for grades 4 through 12.

In addition, the school may elect to use different assignments they might construct on their own or may find through another organization. If a school selects a different assignment, they must receive approval from LightsOut Ohio. For approval, please contact:

Bill Kolosi
LightsOut Ohio Co-Chair
330-998-0124
bkolosi@LightsoutOhio.org
Fax: 330-319-8121

Schools are responsible for printing of the take-home assignments.

4. Take-home assignments may be completed anytime on or before April 26, 2010. The school will collect the assignments and report back to LightsOut Ohio the total enrollment and total number of students completing the assignment. A faculty or staff person will report their results via an electronic form provided by LightsOut Ohio. Results must be reported no later than April 29, 2010. Schools where 60% of the students complete the take-home assignment and turn off some non-essential lights will qualify for the drawing.

5. If the school meets qualifications for the drawing, they should retain the take-home assignments completed by the students for at least 3 weeks so that the LightsOut Ohio team may validate the assignments of the winner. Only the drawing winner will have the assignments validated.

Selection of Grant Winner:

1. One winning school will be selected in a random drawing among qualifying entrants on May 3, 2010.

2. Upon final review of all eligibility requirements, including a review of the take-home assignments, the drawing winner will be officially announced May 10th.

3. In the event that it is determined that the drawing winner does not qualify, another school will be selected from among qualifying schools.

Grant Expenditure Requirements:

1. The drawing winner will be awarded a $5,000 grant, courtesy of the Sierra Club Portage Trail Group, to be applied to an energy efficiency improvement to the school building. Examples of energy efficiency improvements include but are not limited to upgrading lighting ballasts and bulbs, installation of LED exit signs, HVAC upgrades, insulation, control systems, or window improvements.

2. To receive the grant, the school will provide a brief proposal outlining the improvement(s) to be made. The proposal must include information on the estimated payback period for the investment, with this information provided by a professional contractor or building engineer. The proposal must be submitted to the Sierra Club Portage Trail Group no later than July 30th, 2010.

3. The proposed energy efficiency improvement should provide an estimated payback period of 6 years or less.

4. In the event that the awarded school’s plan does not meet the requirements, the school will have the option of submitting a second plan. If the school cannot identify an energy efficiency investment that will meet the requirements, another school will be awarded via a drawing from the pool of remaining qualifying schools.

5. Sierra Club Portage Trail Group will issue payment to the winning school immediately upon installation of the energy efficiency improvement. Other payment arrangements can be made if needed pending further discussions.

Media Announcements:

1. The awarded school agrees to participate in the issuance of two press releases: (a) to announce that the school has been awarded the grant and (b) upon completion of the installation of the energy efficiency investment, an announcement of the expenditure and the benefit of the investment. The school will provide quotes and will be included in the press releases.

2. At the winning school’s discretion, it may participate in the dissemination of the release or leave this to responsibility of this to LightsOut Ohio/Sierra Club Portage Trail Group.

3. At the discretion of LightsOut Ohio/Sierra Club Portage Trail Group, upon completion of the installation, the winning school will allow media personnel to attend a press conference/tour to review the energy efficiency investment, with a key school staff member participating in interviews. This press conference tour will be conducted during school operating hours, but will be performed in a manner to minimize interference with educational activities.

4. The publishing of individual student names in the press will be permitted only by parental approval.

By confirming intent to participate on the online version of the LightsOut Ohio School Registration form, the school agrees to the above terms and conditions.

* The Ohio Sierra Club Portage Trail Group region consists of Summit, Stark, Portage, Medina, Ashland, Carroll, Holmes, Tuscarawas, Wayne and Harrison Counties.