The Stone Soup Leadership Institute is honored to be invited to develop a pilot program with PowerCorps Boston. As Mayor Michelle Wu is positioning Boston as a green workforce leader, she established PowerCorps Boston in 2022 as the second city in the country to adopt this innovative sustainability workforce program helping underserved communities.

“You are the champions of the green economy,” said Marianne Larned, Author and the Institute’s Founding Director in her opening remarks at the Institute’s Sustainable Career Pathways Training Program. “You are the ones who will be ready for these 10 million new jobs!”

Growing the green workforce to adapt to increasing climate change requires all hands-on deck -- especially in cities like Boston, where local companies are struggling to replenish their workforce pipeline as employees are aging-out. These young adults represent the new generation ready to rebuild the pipeline – as well as our cities and our planet. Watch video

PowerCorps BOS is a 10-month Green Industry Workforce Development Program focuses on three areas: Green Building, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. They provide young adults (18-30-year-olds) with training, career readiness support, and connections to employers in the green industry. An “earn and learn” program, PowerCorps BOS pays members to participate in hands-on training that prepares them for living-wage careers. Upon graduation, they receive AmeriCorps stipends and college credits. Now in its third year, they have graduated over ___ young people who are now employed in green jobs and pursuing further academic training. In addition to their three areas, they refer their “members” to numerous other Boston organizations to explore other green careers. It's modeled after PowerCorps PHIL who have made tremendous progress in rebuilding the City’s aging workforce pipeline of their clean water management system.

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Sustainable Career Pathways Training Program with Albert Perez

Using the Stone Soup Climate Education Curriculum, we custom designed our teacher training modules:

• Guest Speaker Illai Kenney inspired members with her story. Read more here 

• The Institute’s Teacher Trainer Albert Perez shared the Lesson Plan for Illai’s story.

Read more here.

Albert focused on a few of the wide range of activities and encouraged PowerCorps Boston staff to explore others to customize their lesson plans. He reviewed the SustainWDN™ Survey results to show how their “members” had tremendous potential – and aspired to higher levels of learning, which would result in higher salaries.

The Stone Soup Climate Education Curriculum is the only comprehensive platform dedicated to climate education and sustainable career pathways, to prepare all young people for well-paying blue and green jobs. Based on the real-life stories of young people from 38 countries, the 100 easy-to-use lesson plans feature: Language Arts & STEM activities; Sustainability Innovations and Sustainable Career Pathways to green jobs. Endorsed by education, business, government leaders; Tested by educators and students in high schools; Developed with young people from the Institute’s climate education initiatives, it is aligned with MA State Standards and NGSS (20 states) and UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

The Institute’s Sustainable Career Pathways Survey

The Institute’s Pre-Post Survey results indicated tremendous learning and opportunities for future collaboration.

These young adults showed tremendous progress following the training program as shown in the Institute’s Pre-Post SustainWDN™ Survey results.

• Education: Once they saw the direct connection from higher education to higher salaries, they increased their aspirations to 300%;

• Skills: Increased appreciation of their Analytical (100%) and Critical Thinking (44%) skills;
• Fields: Increased interest in Coastal Protection (100%), Marine Biotech (100%), Ocean Data Analysis (300%);

• Sustainability Certificates: Increased interest in Clean Water Management, Solar, Sustainable Ag, Business Energy;
• Resources: Increased interest in Online Learning (133%), Green Job Training (450%) and Start-Up Funding (100%).

Sustainable Workforce Development: From Vision to Action

PowerCorps Boston is responding to MA Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer’s far-reaching report - for developing a climate-resilient workforce. Growing this workforce to adapt to climate change requires all hands-on deck. By intentionally investing in green job creation, we can address systemic inequalities by offering pathways to economic empowerment for marginalized communities.

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This innovative program could provide valuable academic support for President Biden’s American Climate Corps which is empowering a new, diverse generation to tackle two of the greatest challenges of our time: environmental injustice and climate change. In July, the inaugural class of the American Climate Corps was launched – 9,000 members currently serving in communities across the country.Read more here

About the Stone Soup Leadership Institute

For over 25 years, The Institute has boldly pioneered a disruptive education initiative to empower the next generation with the tools they need – from climate education to sustainable career pathways -- for the transition to a sustainable economy. Recognized as a global leader in sustainable workforce development, the Institute has collaborated with business, government, education and community leaders to develop strategic initiatives, public-private partnerships and build sustainable communities. Read More: Case Studies from New England to Hawaii; from inner cities of Boston, Oakland, Cincinnati; the islands of Vieques, Puerto Rico, to the British Virgin Islands and the Philippines. – Case Studies

www.sustainwdn.org | www.stonesoupleadership.org