CAPS Student Interns Kick-Off Building Upgrades at Porterville Unified School District
CAPS energy interns conduct a lighting audit with a local electrical contractor. Dec. 2023.
At Porterville Unified School District (PUSD), student leaders are guiding school infrastructure upgrades to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save the school district money. In July 2023, this work received a remarkable boost thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The DOE selected PUSD, in partnership with CAPS, to receive a $5.8 million Renew America’s Schools grant to upgrade the energy efficiency of seven schools in the district. PUSD was one of only 24 school programs across the country (and the only project in California) to be selected for this highly competitive grant. The grant funding is made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act and promotes clean energy improvements at K–12 public schools nationwide.
The depth of student involvement in the program was essential to the successful award. “The distinguishing factor for PUSD’s selection was the level of student participation,” said Bill Kelly, Director of Energy and Sustainability Programs and CAPS Founder. “Our student program directly involves students in the community and facilitates hands-on climate projects, providing a model that can be replicated in communities across the country that prepare students for college, career opportunities, and the green workforce,” he said.
Students enrolled in the CAPS program at PUSD have expressed the unique benefits of this approach to career readiness and local climate action. “Through this program, I was able to contextualize the things I was learning in class and gain a deeper understanding of core engineering topics. Also, I learned specific skills that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn in class, such as how to perform an energy audit and how to compile and analyze energy usage data,” said Sameera, former CAPS intern at PUSD.
Students gain valuable project management and data analysis skills while working on projects that improve their school community's environmental footprint. Dec 2023.
Building on a Foundation of Success
The DOE grant builds on a solid foundation of success between PUSD and CAPS, which are in the third year of a climate education and workforce development program that includes school infrastructure upgrades. The program aims to reduce PUSD's greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030, a rate two times what the state aims to achieve. The grant enables PUSD and CAPS to implement a high-impact and innovative energy project at seven schools.
Nested in the Tulare County community, the Porterville Unified School District aims to leverage the grant and its partnership with CAPS toward creating more equitable learning spaces for its student population, which is 83% Hispanic or Latino. Porterville's schools meet the state’s criteria of a “high needs” population – which includes students who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches – who disproportionately experience the effects of climate change. In a 2023 report from the American Lung Association, Tulare County ranked among the nation’s worst in ozone particulate matter pollution. These environmental issues are compounded by economic challenges, culminating in a need for both climate solutions and pathways out of poverty.
The PUSD community has been actively seeking solutions to the challenges of climate change while preparing students for success in their paths to college and careers. This job training experience, paired with the building improvements and reduced costs due to energy savings, is a triple win for the district. PUSD Superintendent Nate Nelson said that the ultimate goal of the grant is to provide a "better environment for our students for learning. That's the main benefit for us."
In addition to funding healthier and more sustainable learning environments, the grant will allow CAPS student interns to work hand-in-hand with PUSD staff and local contractors on the building upgrades. This work leverages additional funding sources to create the necessary pathway for improvements across the entire district. “We developed a zero-energy school plan for all buildings in the district, providing a roadmap for achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions, said CAPS student intern Ahla Saleh. “This project allowed us to create site plans for all 22 buildings in our district. With these site plans, we could create tailored recommendations for further improvements to the schools.”
Advancing Clean Energy Improvements
Facilities upgrades at PUSD are advancing with a high degree of analysis and data that corroborate, including energy audits that help assess energy usage and future savings. Student interns at PUSD are leading the energy audits according to standards established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) which are divided into three levels that increase in depth, scope, and detail. With a CAPS intern assigned to their own school site, the students will work with contractors to measure, analyze, and benchmark energy use at each school site receiving facility upgrades.
Having completed the first two levels of the energy audits, the CAPS interns are in the process of conducting the third and final audit, where they develop an in-depth analysis of each school's energy use and cost to implement. The added level of detail in the analysis of the existing buildings and proposed energy measures means that cost and savings have an increased level of accuracy. This level of detail can provide higher quality, more accurate data, which is valuable for major energy projects that can be capital-intensive.
After conducting a lighting inventory audit, CAPS student interns met with CAPS Founder Billy Kelly to learn about the next steps for conducting an energy audit. Jan 2024.
With the funding comes a boost to the local economy as PUSD procures contractors from the Porterville region. Nelson said the plan is “to bring in as many local businesses and partners as we can” to work on the school building upgrades, which will occur in phases over the next two years across seven district schools. The project has also meant building positive relationships with contractors so that students work alongside industry professionals and gain workforce exposure and training opportunities.
Preparing the Future Green Workforce
Although California ranks first among states for the number of people employed in the green jobs sector, the state is projected to face a talent shortage unless immediate steps are taken to prepare the future workforce. The Future of Work is Green report from CAPS in partnership with global consulting firm Accenture found that the rise in green jobs — an estimated 4 million over the next 30 years — demands a swift deployment of workforce training initiatives to close this skills gap to meet California’s climate goals.
Participating in the Renew America’s Schools program empowers CAPS student interns to cultivate practical, transferable skills in STEM and sustainability. CAPS interns enhance their professional abilities through experiences such as delivering impactful presentations, managing deadlines, and fostering collaborations with district leadership and industry professionals. Gaining these skills is a driving factor for students to apply for the program. “I initially applied to CAPS because I wanted to get work experience, and I’ve gained so many valuable skills — including public speaking, community engagement, and data management — all of which can be transferred to any future job I might apply for,” says Judith Gomez, a PUSD 11th grade student intern for CAPS.
CAPS works with a diverse network of partners to ensure that student leaders are empowered to enact projects that reduce their school’s greenhouse gas emissions while building local climate resilience. Learn how we can work together to build a future where students have meaningful career opportunities and attend healthy, sustainable schools.