North Judson, IN – Students from North Judson-San Pierre (NJSP) High School have been named finalists in the national Dual-Use Student Design Challenge, a competition tied to the 2025 Solar Farm Summit in Chicago.
These students have spent the semester diving into the future of food and energy systems, developing real-world solutions for challenges they witnessed firsthand during a recent visit to a local solar company.
The NJSP students, led by business instructor Mollie Dollahan, spent the spring semester learning about the intersection of food and energy systems. Students were able to tour a solar facility and met with on-site agrivoltaics farmer Billy Bope, who shared some of the challenges he has encountered integrating solar energy with agricultural practices like sheep grazing. The students then developed solutions based on what they heard and their own research.
“Our students don’t often get opportunities like this, and they certainly rose to the challenge,” said Mollie Dollahan, in a press release from Solar Farm Summit. “Being named finalists and getting to present their ideas on a national stage is an incredible affirmation of their hard work and vision.”
The goal of the program is to empower students with career exposure, hands-on problem-solving experience, and a platform to share their ideas with leaders in renewable energy and agriculture.
The Solar Farm Summit takes place Aug. 4-7, with the Student Design Challenge Showcase taking place on Thursday, Aug. 7.
