Picture every student, regardless of their background, discovering the opportunities available in sustainability and energy efficiency, and gaining real access to pursue meaningful careers in this dynamic industry. This vision became a reality this week for more than 500 middle school students from Title 1 schools within the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) and the Rialto Unified School District, empowering them to become the architects of a cleaner, and brighter future.
Earlier this month, these students attended the 3rd annual Future Green Leaders Summit STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) career and resource fair at the historic Enterprise Building in downtown San Bernardino. Held for the first time in the City of San Bernardino, the summit was presented by the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN), County of Los Angeles, and sponsored by ICF, Metropolitan Water District and LSA. SoCalREN is authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission to provide energy efficiency and workforce development programming throughout 13 Counties in Southern California, including San Bernardino.
For most students, the Future Green Leaders Summit is the first exposure to innovative clean energy technologies and exploring diverse career pathways in sustainability and energy efficiency—all aimed at reducing carbon emissions and creating a healthier and more resilient planet. Since its inception in 2023 and through this year’s event, the Summit will have inspired 2,100 students.
The students started the day being greeted by superhero characters representing renewable energy sources including Wind, Solar, and Geothermal; they and their fellow superheroes performed throughout the day in a fun Energy Battle Royale. The morning welcome included brief remarks from Helen Tran, Mayor, City San Bernardino; Quintin Haynes, Chief Deputy Director of the Internal Services Department for Los Angeles County; Mauricio Arellano, Superintendent of the SBCUSD; and was emceed by Founder/CEO of the Battery Tour, musician, and former UN Youth Ambassador AY Young, who set the tone sharing his core message: “Use your passion to take action.”
Created as a dynamic, immersive experience that would spark passion for green careers among young students, the 500 students from 11 schools rotated throughout the day between interactive workshops and a resource fair of booths hosted by government and building and energy industry partners showing off future opportunities through hands-on activities.
Kristy Drutman, aka Browngirl Green, speaker, consultant, media producer, and environmental educator, used storytelling and the students’ day-to-day experiences to help guide them in discovering their unique path within the growing green economy. Thomas Yount, founder of Clean Earth Future, ran a workshop using his board game creation Climate Cooldown, during which students worked in groups to design “cards” to incorporate into the master game, creating solutions to environmental problems in the Inland Empire such as pollution, extreme heat, and drought.
In a workshop that used AI to reimagine cities after climate disasters, LATTC Prof. Marcela Oliva presented the AI-powered digital twin of Altadena that was destroyed in the Eaton Fire. She and her and her college student team then gave the middle-schoolers first-hand experience in using an interactive GIS map and data tools to design and reimagine the community, learning the importance of data in climate careers and community resilience.
The Green Energy Tribe's "The Home Energy Efficiency Challenge”, led by Robyn Mancell, CEO, Green Energy Solutions Holdings and board member of USGBC California, introduced students to the principles
of sustainable living, renewable energy, and eco-friendly architecture through a game where they worked together and used critical thinking to create energy solutions for homes.
The Energy Battle Royale, an interactive rap and dance battle created by Global Inheritance, featured Earth’s most powerful superheroes—Hydrogen, Solar, Biogas, Nuclear, Geothermal, Tidal, Wind, and Ethanol. In performances throughout the day, and with the help of energy power cards with facts & stats (like baseball cards), the students learned about green energy sources, explored their strengths and weaknesses, and voted for their favorites to power the world.
Finally, AY Young, global music artist, performer, and United Nations Young Leader who uses music to power change, held workshops using music and storytelling to show students how their own passions can fuel meaningful impact, how each one of them can become “outlets” for change, and also connect to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to help change the world. AY also closed out the day with a high energy concert and performance.
The location of this year’s Future Green Leaders Summit was poignant. Two of the largest employment sectors in San Bernardino County – transportation and trade – offer limitless opportunities for energy efficiency and emerging energy workers; this is especially important as San Bernardino County averages in the 70-80th percentile of communities disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution (CalEnviroScreen 4.0). California-wide clean energy employment in 2023 stood at 544,604, with energy efficiency remaining the largest subsector (302,176) and clean vehicles growing the fastest (+14.3% in 2023) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).