Douglas Byrd High School (DBHS) teacher Peggy Weinhoeft-Renfro has returned from a 2,500-mile fellowship journey along the Colorado River Basin, where she explored the interconnected narratives of climate change, renewable energy and human resilience through a systems-thinking lens.
With support from a $5,000 Fund for Teachers grant, the director of DBHS' Academy of Green Technology traveled across California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah this summer to study how water, energy and community sustainability intersect in one of the nation’s most dynamic regions. Her itinerary included Indio, California; Boulder and Denver, Colorado; Boulder City, Nevada; and Kanab, Utah.
Weinhoeft-Renfro designed the fellowship to inspire her students, many of whom have limited opportunities to travel or see the world beyond their neighborhoods, to make global connections and envision broader possibilities.
“The fellowship gave me credibility and content, and my students have responded with enthusiasm to the pictures and firsthand stories from my trip,” said Weinhoeft-Renfro. “While standing at the Hoover Dam, hiking along the headwaters and viewing endless miles of solar panels and wind turbines, I gained a level of authenticity that no book could ever touch. My experiences spark their curiosity and fuel possibility.”
Weinhoeft-Renfro is one of 355 Pre-K–12 educators nationwide and one of only three in North Carolina to receive a 2025 Fund for Teachers grant. The program empowers educators to design self-directed summer fellowships that deepen their teaching practice and expand student learning.
“Everywhere I went, there were lessons about climate and energy for certain, but also about culture, art and the complicated relationships between people and place," said Weinhoeft-Renfro. "It was an experience that confirmed my views about teaching and the importance of systems thinking. I have enjoyed sharing experiences and developing lessons surrounding this experience. More CCS teachers should attempt to get FFT grants to enhance and rejuvenate their teaching. This grant represents what teaching and learning should be like.”
Weinhoeft-Renfro is using her experiences to enrich her classroom lessons on energy and environmental systems, helping students connect science concepts to real-world issues affecting communities across the globe.
Educators interested in designing their own learning experiences can learn more and apply at fft.fundforteachers.org. Applications for the 2026 Fund for Teachers grant cycle are open.
Photos captured during Weinhoeft-Renfro's Journey
