For students like Kimberly Colgan, participating in the Youth Energy Summit (YES!) program is a life-changing experience. “YES! has definitely impacted my college and career plans. I am now pursuing a degree in industrial process engineering (looking at processes to reduce waste) and I hope to work in a recycling facility to help improve cost and efficiency so that we can recycle as much as possible,” says Colgan, a YES! student and recent graduate from Apollo High School in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
One of the goals of the YES! program is to increase awareness of career, economic, and entrepreneurial opportunities. YES!, a program partnership between Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) and Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center (PWELC), is a team-oriented youth program that uses hands-on, experiential learning and energy action projects to address energy opportunities and issues in rural Minnesota communities.
Students who participate in the YES! program are exposed to career opportunities and develop workforce skills throughout their participation. At YES! events students interact with local energy-related businesses and organizations and are inspired to think differently about energy issues and opportunities. YES! students also take on energy action projects in their schools and communities that not only lead to dramatic demonstrations of renewable energy technology and conservation practices; but also build skills that will directly impact the future like creativity, innovation, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and project management. Through YES!, students are learning by doing – building solar panels, doing energy audits, designing and building composting bins and small wind turbines, growing local food for their cafeterias and more.
This year the Foley YES! team designed and implemented an alternative energy tour of Minnesota. This tour included a biomass plant, a solar panel manufacturer, wind energy, hydropower, and an ethanol plant. One student remarked, “biomass seems like an interesting career field-I wouldn’t mind working in such a place.” The Glencoe-Silver Lake YES! team built a fuel-efficient vehicle this year with the goal of achieving 500 miles per gallon. Through this project, one student commented “the most important things I think I’ve learned are dealing with other’s ideas, working as a team, and communicating.” We’re excited to see what these students will do with the skills and knowledge they gained through YES! as they enter the workforce.
YES! is gearing up for the 2013-2014 school year and all of the projects that students will engage in this year. If you would like to use your expertise to help the students involved in the YES! program, send an email to [email protected]. To learn more about the YES! program and to sign up for the YES! quarterly e-newsletter, visit http://www.youthenergysummit.org.
