The Green Earth Corps Energy Junior Ambassador and Junior Fellow Program is a project of the Renewable Nations Consortium (hereinafter "Consortium"). The Consortium consists of 13 U.S.-based higher education Institutions (HEIs) --- Boise State University; Duke University; Florida State University; Fordham University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Illinois Institute of Technology; New York Institute of Technology; University of Florida; University of Idaho; University of North Texas; University of Pennsylvania; Vermont Technical College; and Yale University --- under the leadership of the Renewable Nations Institute.
The mission of the Consortium is to support the learning objectives of middle-school, high-school, and post-secondary students (ages 14-24) --- specifically targeting students from front-line, minority communities --- seeking climate- and energy-related education and careers.
The project focuses on students using energy monitoring and data collection equipment to conduct progressively difficult energy audits in diverse home and community settings. Data gathered by students under the guidance of teachers and mentors will be used to build accurate, scientifically important models of energy consumption in communities in alignment with the learning objectives of the Next Generation Science Standards (MS-ESS3-5, and HS-ESS3-1 through HS-ESS3-6).
The projected outcomes of the project are: (1) for middle- and high-school students to motivate adults to reduce “Stand-by Power” consumption (and related CO2 and GHG emissions) from consumer appliance plug-loads resulting in verified annual average electricity savings of up to 19.9%; (2) for high-school and post-secondary students to conduct progressively difficult energy audits leading to the reduction of plug-load and hardwired (process) loads resulting in verified annual average electricity savings of up to 43%; and (3) for post-secondary students to gain the knowledge and experience required to secure admission to post-graduate, engineering degree programs and entry into professional careers in the energy services sector.
According to a new survey of youth ages 16 -25 in ten countries (including the United States) led by researchers from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, 75% of young people are worried and angry, and experience widespread, deeply felt anxiety due to anthropogenic climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels and land use change. The Green Earth Corps Junior Ambassador and Junior Fellow Program is a youth empowerment program that can help ally the climate-induced anxiety among America’s youth.
