MNIPL Supports Internship at Just B Solar Camp

Just B Solar is a solar-based STEM camp for children and youth from low-income communities and communities of color. It offers fun and hands-on ways to explore the basics of solar energy and the power grid and reinforces why access to renewable energy belongs to everyone.

MNIPL helped start Just B Solar in 2016 with Keith Dent. It’s just one of the many ways we incubate programs with community partners.

For the 2022 camp, we supported a paid internship as part of the Lake Street Solar program and thanks to funding from the Minneapolis Foundation.

We asked Maniya Dorsey to tell us about her internship experience. She shared that it was wonderful, especially the close connections she made with all of the kids! Here’s more from Maniya:

Tell us about you. Where did you grow up and what are you studying now?  

I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and lived there my entire life up until high school. I am now in my sophomore year at college [during this internship], and I will pursue a career in technical engineering.

What made you excited about Just B Solar?

I really enjoy working with kids while also learning new information myself. I really enjoyed working with Mr. Van and Mr. Keith [the camp leaders].

What did the kids learn that they will take with them? 

The kids learned that you can use solar to power something as big as a house to as small as a phone.

What did you learn from the experience of working with the kids? 

I learned that they engaged more when they were working with hands-on projects, such as the end project, the solar house, and the solar-powered cars we made in the beginning.

How do you hope the world will be different in 10 years?

I hope the world uses more renewable energy to power things electronically. The world is becoming more damaged by the “easier” and “cheaper” resources that we use. To make things better we need to make differences that will sufficiently change our world.


MNIPL is proud to support our future climate leaders. From campers to youth apprentices, interns and fellows, these young people bring a curiosity for what’s possible and a determination to make the world better.