Sarah Pidgeon, Director, NYC K-12 Education Program

Sarah Pidgeon joined Solar One in 2009 as one of two Education staff. Now, with over 10 educators on board, she is thrilled to be able to offer Solar One education programs to more NYC schools each year. Sarah is excited about the growth of Solar One’s Green Design Lab Program and she is passionate about inspiring NYC students to bring sustainability into their schools and communities. Prior to joining Solar One, Sarah worked as an educator for several years at the Center for the Urban Environment in Brooklyn, where she taught classes in Urban Design and Ecology. However, her real passion for environmental education began during her childhood spent as a camper and staff member at Frost Valley YMCA in the Catskill Mountains, where she was first exposed to sustainable practices like composting food waste. When she is not busy teaching about all things sustainable, Sarah enjoys riding her bike, cooking, and drawing.

Dawne Adams , Assistant Director for High School Programs

Dawne has been as educator for over fifteen years. She has earned Masters degree in Education from SUNY Oneonta and holds a CAS in Educational Administration from SUNY Brockport. She has worked
as an Earth Science Teacher and has experience designing and delivering science curriculum in the areas of Energy and Environmental Science. In addition, she has been an adjunct instructor and SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry College teaching a Global Environment course to High School Students for college credit. Dawne recently accompanied Global Youth Services Team of a month long trip to Thailand and helped the group install Solar Panels and Water Purification Units in refugee camps
along the Burma Border. Dawne is thrilled to join Solar One and merge her passion for green energy and sustainability with her experience as an educator. She is also excited to be returning to NYC after a twenty year hiatus.

Fronsy Thurman, Assistant Director for Instruction

After working as a graphic designer and illustrator through much of her youth, Fronsy caught the environmental education/sustainable development bug when she joined the Peace Corps. She ended up in a Zambian village, where a sympathetic band of creatures including a cobra, a lizard, and some termites, allowed her to live in their hut while she worked with farmers to implement sustainable agricultural practices. Upon returning to the U.S., Fronsy continued to work in agriculture until 2006, when she accepted a position at the Center for the Urban Environment in Brooklyn, NY. As the coordinator of Urban Ecology Programs, she authored curricula, delivered programs to both students and educators, and facilitated EPA and DEP projects with high school students. Raised in Mississippi, Fronsy managed to shed her accent, get a decent winter coat, and find her way to New York. She received her BFA in Illustration and Printmaking from Pratt Institute. Her work has been exhibited in New York and has appeared in numerous magazines and other lowbrow printed matter. She is very excited to be a part of Solar One.

Joe Chavez, Educator

Joe began working with Solar One’s Education team in 2010 as an educator for enrichment classes and the Green Design Lab program. As a recent graduate from the Center for AgroEcology and Sustainable Food Systems at University of California Santa Cruz and a history of working with community gardens in NYC, Joe brings expertise and experience to the Green Design Lab program’s curriculum, which introduces sustainable agriculture and the food system to New York City students. For a 2011 sustainability project at the Academy of Urban Planning, a Green Design Lab school, Joe led students and staff in the planning and construction of a 3,000 square foot urban farm on the school campus. The farm provides organic produce for the students, the community, and local restaurants. He is currently focused on expanding sustainability projects for participating Green Design Lab schools with projects ranging from installing solar panels and rainwater collection systems to greenhouses and hydroponic gardens.

Alex Smith, Educator

In May 2010, Alex completed his degree in Environmental Studies at Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts in New York City. After interning at Solar One during the summer of 2009, Alex joined the Education team as an instructor in the Estuary Enrichment Program, and in September 2010 came on full time as an environmental educator. Alex got his start working with children as a camp counselor during summer breaks from high school. His interest in environmental stewardship began as a young child growing up on the east end of Long Island where he spent much of his free time outside, playing in the woods or enjoying a day at the beach. He is so excited to work with the awesome people at Solar One and to have the opportunity to share his knowledge with students throughout the five boroughs of New York City. In his spare time, Alex enjoys surfing in Sagaponak, the occasional weekend of snowboarding and riding his bike around the city.