Some high school students spend summers lifeguarding or bagging groceries.

But in Thornton Township, Illinois, some students get paid to spend their summers learning the skills they’ll need for jobs in energy efficiency.

Johnson: “They can get hired by pretty much any energy efficiency weatherization company or firm … immediately after graduating from high school if college is not the immediate next step for them.”

Darnell Johnson helped develop Green Generation. It’s a three-summers-long program geared primarily toward Black and Brown communities, who he says are less likely to have been introduced to opportunities in clean energy and energy efficiency.

Through the program, participants can earn up to six professional certifications focused on energy auditing, air leak sealing, and more.

But the program also goes beyond vocational training. It helps students develop leadership skills and tools to become advocates for sustainability.

They discuss issues like the high cost of energy and lack of EV chargers in the community. And they learn how to get involved politically to push for change.

Johnson: “They’re starting to see themselves as a part of the solution.”

So whether they become technicians, engineers, or politicians, participants get the foundation they need to help build a more sustainable future.

According to yaleclimateconnections.org