Project Profile

The Clean Energy Literacy and Leadership (CELL) project will develop, implement, and evaluate a community-oriented program designed to better inform youth and their families about clean energy practices and "green" career opportunities. The target audience includes predominately African American and Latino youth, ages 13 to 16, and their families from five underserved communities in the East San Francisco Bay area. The University of California-Berkley and a host of partner organizations and advisors; a consortium of major academic institutions, local municipalities, work force development and training organizations, a Department of Energy operated national laboratory, school districts, and clean energy and green business practitioners will work collaboratively to develop and implement the project. Twenty students at five high schools and one middle school will participate in the project each year, totaling 300 students over the duration of the project. CELL activities will take place in after school settings, during the summer, and at public events. Participants will: (a) learn clean energy concepts, (b) participate in clean energy research investigations to better understand energy impacts within their communities, (c) engage in activities linking science content to sustainable positive behavioral changes, (d) use ICT applications to build knowledge, communication and presentation skills, and (e) attend presentations by clean energy professionals (entry-level-degree required positions) to learn about their careers and career pathways. CELL instructional materials & learning modules, an Instructor's Guide, and a digital learning platform (e.g., website, wiki, blog) are the primary project deliverables and will be publicly available. Evaluative data will be collected through surveys, digital portfolios, interviews, and constructed reflections and will be used to monitor, assess, and inform the project and the extent to which project goals have been met and the intended impacts achieved. Increased awareness, understanding, and interest in critical energy related concepts are the intended project outcomes.