At the 2025 Future Green Leaders Summit, middle school students used AI to design fireproof homes, learned about climate and environmental jobs, and cheered on superheroes dressed as energy sources like “wind,” “sun,” and “ethanol” as they faced off in rap and dance battles.
The daylong event, held Wednesday at a historic corporate building in San Bernardino, was hosted by the Southern California Regional Energy Network, managed by Los Angeles County and paid for by California utility ratepayers.
The approximately 500 students in attendance came from the San Bernardino and neighboring Rialto school districts, which have Title 1 status, meaning the school receives additional federal funding because of the high percentage of students who live in low-income households. According to the U.S. Census, Latino, Black and Asian residents make up more than 80% of the population in both boroughs.
Organizers said part of the event’s purpose was to address the disconnect in the green economy. Students from poor families and families of color are more vulnerable to rising global temperatures, pollution, and food and energy shortages, while members of their communities are less likely to be employed in green industries. Women are also underrepresented.
For example, the U.S. solar workforce is 73% white and 70% male. Approximately 60% of our workforce is white and more than 50% are women.
Organizers say it’s hard for children to imagine themselves in green jobs if they don’t see others like them doing it.
“When kids get to high school, they’ve already decided on a career, and many of them, especially women, don’t go into STEM,” Wendy Angell said, referring to fields built on science, technology, engineering and math. Angell is Southern California Regional Director for Emerald Cities, a nonprofit organization working to bring diversity to the green economy.
These disparities were at the forefront of Los Angeles County’s Environmental Initiatives Manager Lujuanna Medina’s mind four years ago when she came up with the idea to host a summit for middle school students.
“We were thinking, ‘How can we reach them early on?’ in front Will they reach high school? Let them know the different parts of the green economy,” Medina said.
The fair, which combines live entertainment, hands-on workshops and a career expo, was designed to make the idea of green industry and sustainability more approachable, said Ben Stapleton, executive director of the US Green Building Council, an L.A.-based advocacy and workforce development organization.
This is especially important given that worries about the future of the planet are negatively impacting young people’s mental health and leaving them feeling powerless.
One solution, Stapleton said, is to break down big concepts like “climate change” into more accessible components.
“This is what it means in terms of air quality. This is what it means in terms of biodiversity, access to plants and green space,” Mr Stapleton said. “When you give kids these tools, they make a difference and know they can be a part of it.”
In one workshop, Los Angeles Trade Tech College professor Marcela Oliva taught students how to use the latest digital visualization and 3D simulation tools to design homes and landscapes that incorporate wildfire-resistant building materials and plantings.
Elsewhere, students learned about energy-saving home appliances, brainstormed solutions to problems such as plastic waste proliferation and deforestation, and explored internship and professional job opportunities.
Maximilian Valdovinos, 12, from San Bernardino, said he attended the career fair and considered becoming a mechanic, but the event inspired him to consider a career in waste management.
Before the event ended, 13-year-old Emily Zamora was toying with the idea of entering the green industry. But the activities she participated in made her think about the lack of trees and shade in the San Bernardino area where she lives, and the potential impact that could have on her health.
“Where I live, there are very few trees. Some are dead,” Zamora said.
Organizers and workshop facilitators said they recognize that not all students will leave the event wanting to pursue a green career. The idea is to plant a seed.
