Crowdfunding Platform: ME4 Mobile Energy for Emergency, Education and Enterprise
Crowdfunding Platform is a new series on Ecopreneurist that aims to help crowdfunding campaigns that have a clear environmental or social focus. Want to feature your campaign? Get the deets here!
Campaign Name: ME4 = Mobile Energy for Emergency, Education and Enterprise
What is the campaign all about? We take a rather large mobile solar generator — a 25-foot-long trailer with solar PV panels, inverters and batteries (ENERGY), designed for rapid response and recovery in disasters(EMERGENCY)and use it as a moveable classroom to teach kids about design, science, engineering and technology through hands-on instruction (EDUCATION). We are currently raising funds as grant money to operate this as a pilot project to attract collaborators in creating jobs and opportunities (ENTERPRISE)for underserved communities and developing countries.
Why is the project relevant? Our program goals are four-fold-
1. Bridging gaps in STEM education for underserved communities.
2. Providing emergency-response units that generate electricity and pure water from the Sun.
3. Open-source product design and development for Bottom of the Pyramid customers.
4. Job creation.
Project ME4 provides both a novel education experience and a valuable emergency-response asset. ME4 is relevant in that it is about solar and renewable energies, an appropriate “eco-“response in emergencies, aligned to clean tech and green tech in education, has a social mission locally and globally (mentoring enterprise development in countries that are failed states or at risk). We also look to develop ourselves, during out pilot project, into a sustainable enterprise, perhaps spinning off (or helping to spin off) for-profit or social-profit/B-corp enterprises.
What does the campaign aim to do?
We are currently raising funds as grant money to operate the ME4 as a pilot project to attract collaborators in creating jobs and opportunities (ENTERPRISE) for underserved communities and developing countries.
To accomplish these goals, we are raising funds through Start Some Good as grant money for our pilot project. We are also collaborating with partner groups, Global Exchange, the NDRC (National Disaster Resiliency Center) and Carnegie-Mellon Silicon Valley campus at NASA Research Park, City of Palo Alto, and others.
Link to the project campaign page: http://startsomegood.com/Venture/me4/Campaigns/Show/me4_campaign_launch
Crowdfunding goal and the deadline: Goal- $28,000 before May 2, 2012
Final pitch: Project ME4 uses one efficient platform — our mobile solar generator trailer — for emergency response, experiential education and poverty eradication. In emergencies we provide the three most essential capabilities: clean energy, drinking water and communications. In the meantime, we provide a mobile power source for educating kids and training for jobs in several locations in one day, and many locations in a week. Please help us launch this high-visibility project with your generous donation of funds, networking for sponsors or endorsers, and collaborative resources.
at San Leandro Marina providing solar-power for a rapid-response unit for emergency water desalination
 Next, use your Solar Report to get the best quote! |
About the Author
Priti Ambani Hi there! I am Priti and I specialize in strategy and communications for impact organizations that aim to create social, environmental and economic wealth for all stakeholders. Working from the ground up, I help these do-gooders craft effective programs for community engagement, outreach and profitability. Follow my work covering do-gooders, cleanweb, start-ups and Web 2.0 businesses on Ecopreneurist and at Crowdsourcing Week. I enjoy traveling with my boys, cooking up a gourmet meal from scratch and entertaining! Join my community for Social Entrepreneurs on G+ Follow me on Twitter, on LinkedIn and Google+
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