Notre Dame Virtual School’s theme for April is Invisible Energy: How AI Uses Power – and What We Can Choose Next
Every Time we search online, stream a video, or use AI, energy is being used–often in ways we cannot see. Behind our digital world are data centers: powerful systems that store and process information, using large amounts of electricity and water to keep everyhing running.
NDVS Theme for April | Leo’s Corner | Student Corner | Resources
NDVS Theme for April
As AI continues to grow, so does its demand for energy. What feels instant and effortless on our screens depends on complex systems that have real impacts on the Earth and on communities around the world.
In regions such as the Amazon, people are working to protect forests, water, and ways of life that are deeply connected to the health of our planet. The choices made about energy—how it is produced, how it is used, and who is affected—are not only technical decisions, but human and moral ones.
Download: Elena’s Table of Plenty Story
This month, we explore a simple but important question: How does the energy behind AI connect to our choices—and what can we do next?
“What we cannot see still matters–especially when it shapes our world.”
Leo’s Corner — Peace & Social Justice
Leo’s Corner — Peace & Social JusticePeace begins with the choices we make each day. When we choose sustainability, we respect the dignity of all people and care for the Earth entrusted to us. Small acts, multiplied by many, create pathways to justice and hope.
Pope advises journalists: Don’t Turn war into a video grame. https://www.IndCatholicnews.com/news/54587
Pope Leo’s XIV – Balanced View on Artificial Intelligence [ https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-03/javier-cercas-leo-xiv-balanced-view-artificial-intelligence.html ]
March 22, 2026 – World Poetry Day
Student Corner — Your Device, Your Impact
Pause. Look at the device in your hand. It connects you to the world… but it also uses real energy, in real places.
Try this quick check:
- When I finish using my device… do I turn it off, or just close it?
- Do I leave my device plugged in overnight even when it’s already charged?
- How many hours a day am I actively using my device?
- How many hours is it just… on?
Power Choices Matter
- Could I unplug my charger when I’m not using it?
- Could I power down (not just sleep) once a day?
- Could I lower brightness or close unused apps?
Small choices = less energy used in data centers far away.
Think Bigger
- How many videos, reels, or livestreams do I watch each day?
- Could I swap one video for reading, drawing, or talking with someone?
- Do I really need to be online… or just used to being online?
Elena’s Question (from the dinner table)
“If what we use affects the Earth… what kind of user do I want to be?”
Download: Elena’s Table of Plenty Story
Try One Change Today
Choose just one:
- Unplug your charger when not in use
- Turn your device fully off tonight
- Take a 30-minute offline break
- Skip one video or reel
Talk It Out
- What surprised you about your device habits?
- What was hardest to change?
- What would it look like if a whole class made one small change?
One Step Further
Imagine: If every student in your school made one small change… what difference could that make?
Resources – The “Forests” We Don’t See
Most of what we do online—streaming, storing photos, using AI—doesn’t feel physical.
But somewhere, in places like this, large buildings filled with servers are working constantly.
Data center interior with server racks. Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
These are called data centers.
They use electricity, water (for cooling), and land—just like any system we depend on.
What if we treated data centers like forests—something to care for, not just use?
Explore & Learn More
International Energy Agency — Data Centres & Networks
https://www.iea.org/energy-system/buildings/data-centres-and-data-transmission-networks
UN Environment Programme — Digitalization & Environment
https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/digitalization
Google — Data Center Sustainability
https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/sustainability/
Try This
– Turn off auto-play on videos
– Shorten long streaming sessions
– Close unused tabs and apps
– Ask: Do I need to generate this—or can I reuse what I already have?
