Rising Sun Energy Center’s team of eager young eco-advocates will be pounding the Bay Area’s pavement this summer, sharing with interested households some simple and free ways to conserve energy and water.
BY BILL PICTURE
Published: July, 2017
Rising Sun Energy Center’s team of eager young eco-advocates will be pounding the Bay Area’s pavement this summer, sharing with interested households some simple and free ways to conserve energy and water.
The Berkeley-based organization’s California Youth Energy Services (CYES) program employs young adults ages 15 to 22 for a seven-week period to provide “green house calls” to residents in 20 Bay Area cities who request Rising Sun’s help greening their homes. To date, CYES energy specialists have paid visits to nearly 38,000 homes. And nearly 313,000 LED bulbs have been installed during green house calls.
Rising Sun Marketing Coordinator Jennifer Vega says the participants’ reasons for joining the program vary. “Some join because they are already genuinely interested in social and environmental causes,” she said. “But some are just excited to have a paying summer job.”
Regardless of why they came to the program, Vega said that by the time the youth complete their energy specialist training and go out into the field, their passion for conserving energy and water is evident.
A green house call typically consists of a free evaluation, the installation of energy-saving LED light bulbs and water-saving fixtures, as needed, and some tips for further greening at-home life. The energy specialist’s enthusiasm for sustainability proves infectious more often than not; and clients are inspired to go the extra mile to live greener.
Occasionally, though, Vega said the energy specialist’s message falls on deaf ears simply because of age. “Some people may not be as open to receiving the information from youth as they would be from an older adult, whom they can more easily imagine being an ‘expert,’” she said.
If the message doesn’t resonate, however, that’s no fault of the CYES team members, because “energy specialists” is exactly what they are by the time they complete their training. In addition to learning about various sustainability steps (including wattage conversions and how to change a sink aerator), the young people also receive extensive training in the art of face-to-face communication.
It’s also important to note that when the youth make green house calls, it’s not a script they’re reciting. They’re encouraged to take what they’ve learned and deliver the message in their own words and their own voice.
The program offers many benefits for the youth participants. Many CYES recruits are very shy and awkward when they first come to the program. But by the time they knock on their first door, they’re not only knowledgeable; they’re also confident, and comfortable holding an in-person conversation.
One green house call recipient, Tom McLain, wrote in a blog post on the Rising Sun website: “These kids did a great professional job. They are learning how to deal with people and have the education to successfully and intelligently share info about the products. This is a great program for getting kids ready for the working world.”
That’s another goal of the CYES program—empowering youth. Saving the environment is the short-term goal, but the long-term goal is shaping the next generation of leaders.
“Youth employment at a young age can have a really positive impact on career advancement, self sufficiency, and self confidence,” Vega said. “Early unemployment has been shown to have a significant negative impact on earnings later in life, and to increase the likelihood of future unemployment.”
Field Training Leader Elliot Mack said, “Although the energy specialists might have felt a little shaky going to their first green house call last year, they triumphantly came back to the site with smiles on their faces. Now, they fear no grumpy client. And the awkwardness that shrouded the room at the beginning of training has faded.”
The reasons for requesting a green house call are as varied as the reasons for joining the CYES program, according to Vega. She said the lion’s share of clients are concerned about the health of the environment and want to do what they can to help protect it. Others, though, do it to lower their utility bills. Saving the environment is just the icing on the cake.
So while one might think the CYES program would be difficult to replicate outside of the already green-minded Bay Area, Vega believes its money-saving aspects could help programs like CYES take root in parts of the country that aren’t necessarily as inherently eco-aware. “It seems reasonable that people everywhere would recognize the financial benefits of energy and water conservation,” she said.
Many of the youth take the training to heart and immediately implement the same energy- and water-saving measures in their own homes that they recommend to clients. One of last year’s energy specialists, Julian Carra, reported, “I now take showers no longer than 10 minutes, wash laundry with only full loads and turn off lights when they are not needed. I think it is important to be aware of how the environment is being affected in negative ways and how we can prevent it.”
But the program’s impact on its energy specialists’ lives goes beyond just expanding their knowledge base. Vega said that nearly a quarter have been inspired to pursue environmentally focused education paths, and nearly 20 percent say they intend to pursue eco-related careers.
“This is the reason that Rising Sun feels it’s vital for young people to engage in conversations around sustainability,” Vega said. “When people unleash their potential, they have the ability to grow, change and make a difference in their community.”
For more information on Rising Sun Energy Center’s California Youth Energy Services program, visit risingsunenergy.org.
A green house call typically consists of a free evaluation, the installation of energy-saving LED light bulbs and water-saving fixtures, as needed, and some tips for further greening at-home life.
