TDEC Names Clearloop and Jackson-Madison County School System Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award Recipients

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has named Clearloop and Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) as the recipients of the 2026 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award for Environmental Education and Outreach. This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards which honors individuals, businesses, and other organizations for their commitment to preserving the state's natural resources.

The award for Environmental Education and Outreach recognizes outstanding initiatives that inspire environmental stewardship, increase public awareness, and lead to meaningful environmental protection.

Clearloop and JMCSS, in partnership with Silicon Ranch and the national nonprofit KidWind, launched Energize STEM, an innovative, teacher-centered program that connects renewable energy infrastructure directly to classroom learning. The initiative equips Tennessee educators with standards-aligned training, hands-on materials, and real-world energy data transforming a local solar facility into a living learning laboratory for students across rural and historically underserved communities. During the 2024-2025 school year, trained educators reached more than 2,500 students, embedding renewable energy instruction into required coursework.

Energize STEM's impact is grounded in measurable environmental data from the 1 MW Silicon Ranch Jackson II solar project, giving students tangible insight into how clean energy works and what it means for their own communities.

Within its first year, Energize STEM expanded from Jackson to Haywood County Schools in Brownsville, training an additional 28 teachers. As of 2026, the program has engaged 80 teachers across 23 schools, with expansion underway in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Two schools supported by Energize STEM have advanced toward Tennessee's State STEM School Designation, demonstrating the program's systemic impact.

There are ten categories for the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards. Other recipients include:

· Agriculture and Forestry - Cumberland River Compact

· Building Green - iFixit

· Clean Air and Transportation Solutions - Clarksville-Montgomery County School System

· Energy and Renewable Resources - Memphis Light, Gas and Water

· Materials Management - Toyota Boshoku Tennessee LLC

· Natural Resources - Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful

· Pursuit of Excellence - OxyChem

· Sustainable Performance - Carlex Glass America, LLC

· Water Quality - Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency

The Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced at the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards event in September.

For more information on the recipients and the awards program, visit the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards website.