They've been doing it all over the world because it's all of our futures at stake.

Schools from Virginia to California have been installing and relying on clean energy methods like solar in increasing numbers. It is being used as a learning tool for students and is being driven by the dropping costs of solar power. That mixed with the penny-pinching that federal and state budgets force upon our schools systems has been one silver-lining. Inside Climate News reports that just around 5 percent of all K-12 schools in the United States are using solar power.

The nearly 5,500 schools using solar power today have a total of 910 megawatts of solar capacity, enough to power 190,000 homes, according to the study. The biggest reason for the surge is the economic benefits of solar energy. Drastic declines in price have made it financially viable for schools. Both public and private schools are reducing their electricity bills with solar, leaving them more money to spend on educational programs, according to the research. Many are also incorporating renewable energy into their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) lessons.

The states that have the most solar-powered schools are the same as the states that have the most residential solar power, with California accounting for a little over a third of all US schools using solar.

According to the study, the average school solar system is about 300 kilowatts, which is 900 to 1,200 panels. Most are installed on rooftops, but there are many other models: solar farms are being built near campuses or on shaded carports in parking lots; urban schools with less space are participating in community solar projects; new buildings are being designed to be solar or net-zero-energy ready. The projects can save school districts into the millions of dollars over the projects' 25-year lifetime. Kern High School District in Bakersfield, California, for example, is estimated to save as much as $80 million in electricity costs over 25 years with its 22-megawatt project.

Inside Climate News says that while some communities have hemmed and hawed over investing in solar, the costs are too good, and the younger generations have been pushing for cleaner and forward thinking from the adults in their lives.