Our Mission

Our Twofold  Mission

• To support the people of Chernihiv as Ukraine fights to end the Russian invasion.  Our partners (including the Rotary Clubs of Babcock Ranch and Kyiv-Capital, the City Council of Chernihiv, and the U.S. Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory). NREL will assist the City in developing a tender to install solar on two schools and two hospitals to increase their resiliency at a time when the electric grid across the nation is unstable due to widespread power plant damage.
• To assist the growth of the solar industry in Ukraine by strengthening solar workforce development. Our partners at the National Technical University/Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute and Chernihiv Polytechnic Institute are partnering with leading solar education provider, Atmosfera Academy, to design training for a first cohort of 100 veterans in solar installation, site assessment, community-based solar,  sales and marketing, and system maintenance and operation. 
• Read about our Solar Workforce Development for Ukraine Rotary International Global Grant application HERE (Community Assessment), HERE (Global Grant fact sheet) and please consider donating HERE – thank you!  
• Individual Rotarians may donate through the Annual Program Fund (APF) to receive Paul Harris credit or Rotary Clubs may commit a portion of their club’s District Designated Funds (DDF) to this project.  The Clubs’ DDF funds will still be available for local District grants the following year (Source: District 6960 Global Grants Chair Julie Pedretti.)

Below: 

Jan. 27, 2024: Babcock students assembled solar cell phone chargers for the people of Chernihiv, Ukraine at Babcock Ranch, FL. 

March 27, 2024: Students at Specialized Secondary School #2 in Chernihiv held a Zoom meeting with Babcock High School students.