Medford Students Build, Test Solar Cells

In January, forty students from Medford’s Vocational-Technical High School and twenty-three students from Medford High School took part in a project designed to build solar cells.

Tenth graders from Ms. Melissa Holland’s biology classes constructed solar cells using blackberries and other “green” materials. This cross-curricular enrichment activity allowed students to not only elicit information about electricity from their 9th grade physics course but also principles of green chemistry and photosynthesis from their current biology course. The goal of the project was to expose students to the latest processes being developed for generating a solar cell that harvests sunlight for energy production.

This learning experience was the culmination of professional development provided to area teachers by Tufts University’s COOP Outreach Partnership program. Tufts University, in conjunction with Beyond Benign, a non-profit organization dedicated to green chemistry education, provided the program to local students.

Students from the Tufts, Jennifer Mui, a 2010 MHS alumnus, Derek DuPont, Chelsea Hogan, and Joshua Levy facilitated labs at the high school as they guided students through the building and testing of the solar cells.

“The Tufts students were fantastic science ambassadors. Students at MHS and MVTHS were very lucky to be able to take part in such an exciting opportunity and look forward to continuing this partnership,” said Ms. Holland.

– Submitted by Medford Public Schools Math/Science Director Carolyn Joy