Students from disadvantaged communities across the San Fernando Valley were encouraged to imagine themselves contributing to a more sustainable future for the planet.
Over 400 middle schoolers from Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools attended the Future Green Leaders Summit, an interactive STEAM career and resource fair at the Discovery Cube in Sylmar, on Oct. 24.
“Today, we are here to inspire you to consider a future in college and in your career in the green and clean energy economy,” Michael Owh, director of the LA County Internal Services Department, told the students during opening remarks.
“We hope that these experiences will be a spark that drives you to consider how you can make a positive difference. Each of you can play a role in protecting our environment and reducing the threat of climate change.”
Held for the first time in the San Fernando Valley, the second annual summit was presented by the County of LA through the Southern California Regional Energy Network’s (SoCalREN) Workforce Education & Training Sector.
“This event is really about connecting our students to the green energy sector, having them begin to think about the jobs that are available as we transition to a more sustainable economy,” said the summit’s lead Francisco Parra Camacho, curriculum director for SoCalREN.
As a former science teacher, Parra Camacho said he designed the event to be focused on “providing a fun, engaging, authentic, real-world connecting experience for our kids.”
Throughout the day, the middle school students explored interactive exhibits at the Discovery Cube, learned about sharks from the Cal State University, Long Beach Shark Lab and collected information from a host of resource booths provided by government and industry partners.
They felt the force of the Santa Ana Winds, examined shark teeth, took home native fire-resistant plants and discussed the possibility of attending programs such as Career Technical Education (CTE)-Linked Learning available in their local LAUSD high schools.
Stephanie Marlene Esquivel, 11, from San Fernando Middle School said she learned some new information about sharks, but that her favorite part of the day was rooting for solar power during the energy rap battle.
Upon arrival, students were immediately greeted by eight energy superheroes dressed in spandex suits, representing all forms of energy production, from wind and solar to ethanol and nuclear. They later showcased their talents in an “Energy Battle Royale” – rap-battling about green energy sources and showing off their dance moves – that was judged by the students.
“Those kinds of experiences are what stick with our students,” said Parra Camacho, who credits an experiential oceanography program he attended while growing up in South Central LA as his first introduction to a STEM career pathway.
He hopes that these students are similarly inspired by their experience at the Future Green Leaders Summit.
The event was free for the predominantly low-income students from Title 1 schools, with funding coming from state utility ratepayers.
“Everyone who has SoCal Edison and SoCalGas as their utility provider has a small surcharge on their utility bill that goes towards these programs. So they’re rate-payer-funded programs,” said Wendy Angel, Emerald Cities regional director.
Angel, whose husband grew up in Pacoima and taught at Pacoima Middle School, said that “sometimes the districts or the schools don’t have the funds to be able to have these programs,” adding that it is important “to expose the students in our low-income communities, disadvantaged communities, to these programs.”
The climate champion at Pacoima Middle School, Raquel Chacon, a health, science and math educator, said she was excited that the event was in the East Valley since they often have to travel far for these types of opportunities.
“All my students were engaged,” added Chacon, impressed by the child-oriented programming. “It’s giving the kids the tools and the resources so they know that they have the power to make a change.”
When students express climate anxiety to her, Chacon said she tries to emphasize sustainability, renewable resources and career pathways for them to be part of climate solutions.
“I tell them, ‘There are jobs where you can do this,’” said Chacon. “But to come here and meet the people who are doing those jobs that I talk about all the time, was just the cherry on top.”
She believes the Future Green Leaders Summit helped reinforce what she has been telling students in the classroom by allowing students to make connections and visualize a future in the field for themselves.
“Especially being able to see people that look like them in those jobs, I think that was pivotal,” said Chacon.