Student Job Prospects Enhanced Through
Funding for Clean Energy Academies
Collaborative Effort to Keep Students in School and on Path
to Careers in Renewable Energy and Clean Technology
SACRAMENTO—California State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, and the California Energy Commission today launched a new $3.2 million program to help prepare California's high school students for jobs in clean technology and renewable energy.
Legislation by Steinberg (SBx1 1) approved last year called for creating and investing in Clean Energy and Technology Academies, modeled after the state's nearly 500 California Partnership Academies. The academies function as schools within schools, blending academic and career technical education to help students apply their knowledge in work-based settings and prepare for careers and college.
"About 48,000 California students are already a part of these remarkable academies that give them the opportunity to benefit not only from rigorous academics, but also to link these classroom lessons with technical training and real world work experiences," Torlakson said. "Students get to see why what they learn in school matters in the real world—and why they should care. That holds particularly true in clean tech and renewable energy fields, important—and growing—parts of California's economy."
Torlakson recently directed the California Department of Education to release the first installment of Green California Partnership Academy Program planning funds for campuses to begin development or refinement of the green academies. The list is attached.
The programs will provide students with opportunities in such industries as agricultural and natural resources, engineering and design, energy and utilities, building trades and construction, and manufacturing and product development. They all participated in a recent solar energy educator workshop, provided through a grant from the Department of Energy and coordinated by the Community College of San Francisco.
"According to the Brookings Report, 'Sizing the Clean Economy,' California has the most skilled clean technology and energy jobs in the country, with more than 315,000 employed in these sectors," said Energy Commission Chair Dr. Robert Weisenmiller. "The partnership academies are preparing high school students to enter this high-wage workforce."
The new funding comes at a critical time, as funding for the initial California Partnership Academies is set to end June 30, 2012. Torlakson and Steinberg will push for renewed funding later this year to continue supporting the programs.
"The reality is that too many of our students drop out of high school because they're bored and unmotivated. It's not because they're less intelligent than their peers, they simply don't see traditional curriculum leading to a real job," said Steinberg. "When these students are taught the core subjects of English, math, and science in ways that apply to real-world technical skills, they're inspired to get engaged in their studies and become more successful than ever before."
Academies will receive funding in installments, as they first launch their new programs and then demonstrate that they have created curriculum and activities designed to meet stringent academic and industry-specific requirements.
California Partnership Academies have proven successful in keeping at-risk students engaged in their work, and on the path to graduation. In fact, statistics show that academy students fare better than the general high school population, with lower drop-out rates, higher test scores among students of color, and greater enrollment in postsecondary institutions.
Of the 21 funded Green Academies, 12 are continuing programs that will augment their curriculum to ensure they continue to meet the objectives of the clean technology and renewable energy legislation. The full group of academies will also be the first in the state to open their doors to ninth grade students, thereby providing participants with a full four-year participation in this successful model.
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Attachment
Green California Partnership Academies Program
Implementation Grants
| County | District Name | School | Academy Name | City/Zip | Primary CTE Industry Sector | Grant Amount 2012-13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | Oakland Unified | Castlemont High School, East Oakland School of the Arts | Sustainable Urban Design Academy (SUDA) | Oakland 94605 | Agriculture & Natural Resources &/or Engineering & Design | $72,443 |
| Alameda | Freemont USD | John F. Kennedy High School | Building Green -- Building Smart | Fremont 94538 | Building Trades and Construction | $72,443 |
| Alameda | Livermore Valley Joint USD | Livermore High School | Green Energy Academy | Livermore | Engineering & Design | $135,831 |
| Alameda | Oakland USD | Skyline High School | Renewable Energy Academy | Oakland 94619 | Energy and Utilities | $135,831 |
| Lake | Upper Lake Union High School District | Upper Lake High School | AESA | Upper Lake 95485 | Agriculture & Natural Resources | $72,443 |
| Los Angeles | Antelope Valley High School District | Antelope Valley High School | Business Entrepreneurs for Alternative Resources (BEAR) | Lancaster 93535 | Energy & Utilities | $72,443 |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles USD Local District 1 | James Monroe High School | Engineering and Design Clean Tech Academy | North Hills 91343 | Engineering & Design | $135,831 |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles USD, Local District 4 | Los Angeles River School | Renewable Energy & Resource Management Academy | Los Angeles 90065 | Energy & Utilities | $72,443 |
| Los Angeles | Antelope Valley High School District | William "Pete" Knight High School | Digital Design and Engineering (DD & E) Academy | Palmdale 93552 | Engineering and Design | $135,831 |
| Riverside | Palm Springs Unified School District | Desert Hot Springs High School | Renewable Energy Academy of Learning (REAL) | Desert Hot Springs 92240 | Energy & Utilities | $135,831 |
| Riverside | Alvord USD | Norte Vista High School | Green Construction Academy | Riverside 92503 | Building Trades and Construction | $72,443 |
| Sacramento | Elk Grove USD | Elk Grove High School | Agricultural Sustainability Academy | Elk Grove 95624 | Agriculture and Natural Resources | $135,831 |
| Sacramento | Elk Grove USD | Laguna Creek High School | Green Energy Technology Academy | Elk Grove 95758 | Energy and Utilities and Design | $135,831 |
| Sacramento | Elk Grove USD | Pleasant Grove High School | Green CADDA Academy | Elk Grove 95624 | Engineering and Design | $135,831 |
| San Bernardino | San Bernardino City USD | Arroyo Valley High School | CORE Culinar Organic Recyclable | San Bernardino 92411 | Agriculture & Natural Resources | $135,831 |
| San Diego | San Diego USD | Hoover High School | Sustainable Academy of Building and Engineering | San Diego 92115 | Building Trades and Construction | $72,443 |
| San Diego | San Diego USD | San Diego Education Complex-School of Science and Technology | Green Engineering | San Diego 92101 | Engineering & Design | $72,443 |
| San Diego | Sweetwater Union HSD | Southwest High School | Eco-Engineering | San Diego 92154 | Engineering & Design | $135,831 |
| San Francisco | San Francisco USD | Abraham Lincoln High School | ALHS Green Academy | San Francisco 94116 | Energy & Utilities | $135,831 |
| San Joaquin | San Joaquin County Office of Education | Venture Academy | Clean Transportation Technology Academy | Stockton 95213 | Engineering and Design | $72,443 |
| Stanislaus | Ceres USD | Ceres High School | Ceres High School Manufacturing Academy | Ceres 95307 | Manufacturing and Product Development | $135,831 |
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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100