Amid colorful murals depicting the history and present of the city of San Bernardino and interactive activities, more than 500 high school students gathered to explore clean energy careers that will help transform the future of their communities. Last week, students learned how they could be agents of this transformation after participating in the first San Bernardino Green Energy Future Leaders Summit, a STEAM resource fair aimed at strengthening the region's future clean energy workforce. High school students from 11 schools in the Rialto Unified School District and the San Bernardino City Unified School District participated in the third annual Green Future Leaders Summit, held downtown. The event aimed to spark young students' interest in green professions. “Many students are unaware of the opportunities available as we move toward a greener and more sustainable future,” said Lujuana Medina, manager of the Environmental Initiatives Division of the Los Angeles County Department of Internal Services. “We want them to start envisioning a future in this growing field, both for themselves and their communities.” Instead of hosting a traditional job and resource fair, the event provided students with a unique experience. The venue was filled with educators, along with a group of superhero-clad performers called Energy Battle Royale, representing solar energy, clean transportation, conservation, and environmental science. These costumed superheroes exposed students to sustainability, climate solutions, and the rapidly expanding workforce in the clean energy sector through interactive lessons and rap songs. For example, the superhero dressed as an ear of corn taught students, after rapping, that corn is a source of self-produced energy, supports local agriculture, and reduces dependence on oil. Students like Cristina Carango, Eighth-grade students in San Bernardino were able to learn firsthand about innovative clean energy technologies and explore various career opportunities in the field of sustainability and energy efficiency, all aimed at reducing carbon emissions and creating a healthier, more resilient planet for themselves and their communities.

“I'm interested in engineering,and I came because I'm interested in STEAM and wanted to see what opportunities are available if I decide to study that field," said Carango.

Thirteen-year-old Adrian Nieto says that when he grows up, he would like to be an electrician. Attending last week's event, he was excited to learn more about other careers that contribute to improving the planet and how certain actions, such as driving a car, can affect it.

“What excites me are all the opportunities that are really out there for us,” said Nieto. “Today I learned how car emissions raise the temperature and, over time, contribute to climate change.”

According to the program, nearly 90% of students in the Rialto Unified School District and 70% in the San Bernardino Unified School District are Latino, which, they say, underscores the need for greater participation in clean energy fields. Programs like the SoCalREN Future Green Leaders Summit and the ACES (Architecture, Construction, Engineering, Sustainability) program, which exposes students to STEAM careers, contribute to the regional goal of ensuring that the Inland Empire's student population reflects the job opportunities that will foster economic growth and improve the quality of life. This is especially important in cities like San Bernardino, where the community and the environment are significantly impacted by the high concentration of warehouses and where air pollution is extreme. “One of the things students are interested in is learning how science helps the environment,” said Genaro Cendejas Cortes, an eighth-grade teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in the San Bernardino City Unified School District. “And with the workers who are here, they're learning about recycling, gas emissions, and some of the solutions we can implement in the future.” Following the event, students visited industry leaders at various booths set up around historic downtown San Bernardino, empowering students like Maileyah Stewart from Arrowview Middle School. “I'm here to learn more about STEAM, to build, and to encourage others to build, too,” Stewart said. “I especially want to inspire girls because I almost always see more boys, and I want to show that girls can do anything, especially in STEAM.”

Note produced under the California Local News Fellowship program at the University of Berkeley.