Lots of Power: students reimagine vacant lots in summer program

High school students will reimagine Kensington’s vacant lots as part of a new summer mentorship program launched a local wind power company.

Called Lots of Power, students will work with mentors — professionals like designers and architects — to research and develop new uses for specific vacant lots in Kensington. At the end of the six-week program, two student concepts will win at least $2,000 each to put their ideas into motion.

If you want to be a mentor or have students interested in this program, contact Andréa Pellegrino at andrea AT pellegrinocollaborative.com by June 14th. The program is focused on students in Kensington but is considering accepting students from other neighborhoods.

The program is spearheaded by Clean Currents, a wind power company headquartered in Silver Spring, Md. that opened a Center City office last January and calls community engagement one of its “brand principles.” Clean Currents is working with neighborhood advocacy group Kensington Renewal to run the program.

Lots of Power has already heard from other neighborhoods, like North Philadelphia, who would like their vacant lots to be part of the program, a spokeswoman said, but expansion depends on the number of mentors and mentees the program gets.