Engagement in Practice: Building Inclusive and Just Pathways to a Clean Energy Economy through Youth Education of Clean Energy

Hyunjung Ji; Sally Grace Shettled; Mark Allen Mueller; Colby Nicole Putman; Amelia Salazar; Laurel Jane Holmes; Hyun Jin Kim

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Community Engagement Division 2 - Engagement in Practice Lightning Round: Equitable Engagement and Transformative Education
Tagged Division: Community Engagement Division (COMMENG)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--43285
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/43285
Download Count: 286

Laurel Holmes is a graduate of The University of Alabama, where she completed her Bachelors of Science in Human Environmental Sciences. She is also a graduate of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University where she earned her Master of Public Health. Laurel's current role is Education Manager at Energy Alabama, in which she applies her expertise in community health promotion and her passion for science education to expand Alabamians' knowledge of clean energy through K-12 and community-based programming.

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Hyun Jin Kim The University of Alabama

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Abstract

The Alabama Energy Transformation Initiative (AETI), a Department of Energy Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize Winner, explored ways in which energy science and management training can fit into secondary and higher education. The project investigated student learning outcomes and the program's impact on their attitudes toward clean energy. AETI aims to educate underrepresented minority (URM) Alabamian students about clean energy practices while providing training for future career opportunities. Many of the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, AL area communities are disadvantaged in clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, and workforce development. The collaborative team for the initiative included The University of Alabama (UA) Engineering and Political Science, Energy Alabama (a nonprofit organization), the Alabama Industrial Assessment Center (AIAC), and local majority-minority high schools. Most of the UA participants are URM students in STEM.

One of the main outcomes of this project was providing students with industrial energy assessment training via a multi-layer peer mentoring system. This gave students the opportunity to participate in energy assessments for small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, in partnership with a local non-profit, Energy Alabama, the project aimed to educate up to 50 high school students at 2 majority-minority schools with peer mentoring by college students.

Via surveys and interviews, we will evaluate students’ technical understanding, analyze how hands-on, real-world, and problem-based education affects students’ perception and disposition toward STEM and energy, and gauge students’ interest in continuing to pursue energy and STEM education and career. Additionally, we will study if URM mentors could have an impact on URM mentees to be more confident and interested in pursuing STEM/energy education and career. Energy and climate change issues in Alabama are related to the equity issue as the state is home to one of the highest household energy burdens and industrial energy use in the nation. Education and outreach are our main levers for supporting underserved and underrepresented groups.

Citation
Format

Ji, H., & Shettled, S. G., & Mueller, M. A., & Putman, C. N., & Salazar, A., & Holmes, L. J., & Kim, H. J. (2023, June), Engagement in Practice: Building Inclusive and Just Pathways to a Clean Energy Economy through Youth Education of Clean Energy Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43285

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The Alabama Energy Transformation Initiative (AETI), a Department of Energy Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize Winner, explored ways in which energy science and management training can fit into secondary and higher education. The project investigated student learning outcomes and the program&#39;s impact on their attitudes toward clean energy. AETI aims to educate underrepresented minority (URM) Alabamian students about clean energy practices while providing training for future career opportunities. Many of the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, AL area communities are disadvantaged in clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, and workforce development. The collaborative team for the initiative included The University of Alabama (UA) Engineering and Political Science, Energy Alabama (a nonprofit organization), the Alabama Industrial Assessment Center (AIAC), and local majority-minority high schools.
Most of the UA participants are URM students in STEM. 

One of the main outcomes of this project was providing students with industrial energy assessment training via a multi-layer peer mentoring system. This gave students the opportunity to participate in energy assessments for small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, in partnership with a local non-profit, Energy Alabama, the project aimed to educate up to 50 high school students at 2 majority-minority schools with peer mentoring by college students.

Via surveys and interviews, we will evaluate students’ technical understanding, analyze how hands-on, real-world, and problem-based education affects students’ perception and disposition toward STEM and energy, and gauge students’ interest in continuing to pursue energy and STEM education and career. Additionally, we will study if URM mentors could have an impact on URM mentees to be more confident and interested in pursuing STEM/energy education and career. Energy and climate change issues in Alabama are related to the equity issue as the state is home to one of the highest household energy burdens and industrial energy use in the nation. Education and outreach are our main levers for supporting underserved and underrepresented groups.
AU  - Hyunjung Ji
AU  - Sally Grace Shettled
AU  - Mark Allen Mueller
AU  - Colby Nicole Putman
AU  - Amelia Salazar
AU  - Laurel Jane Holmes MPH
AU  - Hyun Jin Kim
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Engagement in Practice: Building Inclusive and Just Pathways to a Clean Energy Economy through Youth Education of Clean Energy
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/43285
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--43285
ER  -