Schools

Long Valley Student Proves Power of Alternative Energy, Hopes to 'Change The World'

Sixth-grader Matt Gluck took his social studies project to the next level with a video campaign and demonstration.

Matt Gluck wants to change the world by using alternative energy.

But he’s not just telling people about it – he’s showing them how.

Gluck, a sixth-grader at Long Valley Middle School, recently completed his Change the World project as a student in Matt Marciano’s social studies class.

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Marciano’s annual community project has gained plenty of attention over the years, as students are tasked with choosing a way to help and give back to the community, whether it be a donation drive for a local food shelter, online campaign to help smokers quit, or teach physically handicapped children how to play sports.

Gluck’s project went to a different level, however, as the baseball player made a six-minute video demonstrating how one day’s solar panel harvesting of the sun’s rays could illuminate his backyard batting cage for a night session.

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In the video, Gluck explains that the world will some day run out of fossil fuels – coal, gas, and oil – and the time to explore alternative energy such as solar, wind and water is now.

Gluck also takes viewers to the Cooper Mill in Chester to explain how the use of water-fueled energy was used prior to the existence of electricity.

To get the word out about his video, Gluck aired 15-second trailers on Instagram with the web address of the full YouTube video. His parents also helped by posting it on their Facebook pages.

Gluck took his teacher’s challenge to heart, and has set out to truly change the world. As the video shows, he’s well on his way. 


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