Lincoln Middle School has won a $37,200 alternative energy grant from the Maine Public Utilities Commission to install solar panels on a recently constructed geodesic dome being used as a learning classroom and sustainability lab, according to the Portland School Department.

The grant will be used to purchase and install 23 solar photovoltaic panels. Students will have the opportunity to experience how the panels power the 850-square-foot dome on the school grounds and provide a percentage of the school's energy.

Lincoln's science teachers worked together on the PUC grant. They built on the success of teachers Christel Driscoll and Thom Fournier and eighth-grade students in soliciting funds and grants to create the self-sustaining outdoor classroom.