Thursday, January 19, 2023 - Crestline sixth graders and their teachers are off the grid today as they participate in an "eFast." Students are spending the day without using any sort of electricity or technology, including laptops, phones, watches, and more. This 24-hour eFast began at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday morning and concludes Friday morning at the start of the school day.

During specials, PE, band, and other learning periods outside the classroom, sixth graders are holding true to their fast by conducting learning without electricity or technology.

The sixth-grade class has been studying the autobiography, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which tells the heroic story of William Kamkwamba. William grew up in extreme poverty in Malawi, and decided he wanted a different life for himself, his family, and his village. At just 12 years old, he taught himself how to build a windmill using an old textbook, even though he couldn’t read English, and used scrap materials to construct it, in order to bring electricity to his village. His windmill worked, and he gained the attention of the whole world as he was featured on TED talks, and later graduated from Dartmouth School of Engineering. He is an inspiration to so many people and has created the Moving Windmills nonprofit which helps provide opportunities and resources for the people of Malawi.

Students and teachers have organized a fundraiser with the goal of raising $2,500 for Moving Windmills in hopes of sponsoring the purchase of an e-motorcycle for William's innovation center. Parents, local organizations, and restaurants such as La Paz, Church Street, Porch, and others have sponsored the eFast. If you are interested in contributing, contact Heather Phillips or Jamie Underwood at Crestline Elementary.