Who Made This Curriculum?
This clean energy curricula was created by South Bay teachers, students, and partners to bring engaging clean energy and climate education lessons into classrooms to empower students to become informed leaders in their communities. We partnered with the California Global Education Project (CGEP) and Tanisha-Jean Martin, our clean energy workforce consultant, who helped with teacher training, curricula design, and feedback. In year 1, we hired Daniel H. from Bonita Vista High School to give student and community input. Nine teachers from three Title 1 schools within the Sweetwater Union High School District developed curriculum to fit their classrooms while high school interns brought student perspectives and firsthand knowledge of what resonates with them and their peers. Together they created lessons that are informative to real environmental issues affecting the South Bay. We chose to do this program because communities in the South Bay, especially National City, western Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and San Ysidro face higher levels of air pollution due to the burning of fossil fuels, and because young people will grow up to face the worst impacts of climate change despite being the least responsible.
In year 2, Azul B., Sofia M., and Frida V. were hired as high school interns to continue the process of curriculum development with our nine teachers. They met weekly to design lesson plans, revise provided instructional materials to ensure that the curricula is aligned with educational standards. Student interns also translated resources into Spanish, presented to the San Diego Community Power Board, gathered feedback from teachers and classmates from their respective school clubs, and refined lessons based on classroom experiences. This process ensured that the curricula achieved the academic goals and was engaging for students. We focused the curricula on clean energy, energy efficiency, clean energy jobs, and climate change and justice to encourage students to understand how these topics impact their local communities and how they can contribute to sustainable solutions. By combining the expertise of teachers with leadership of youth, the South Bay Clean Energy Curriculum prepares future generations to address climate change with collaboration and action.