Equip your students for a career in clean energy.

Bring hands-on clean energy curriculum and career connections to your classroom.

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About Spark Your Education

Equip your students for a career in clean energy.

We help high school students in San Diego County explore clean energy careers and get work experience — before they even graduate. Through standards-aligned curriculum, mentorship, paid internships and more, we’re helping to build a diverse and job-ready pipeline of future energy professionals.

What You Get with Spark Your Education

What you receive as an educator:

  • Standards-aligned, ready-to-use career and technical education (CTE) curriculum
  • Training stipends and no-cost classroom supplies
  • Professional development workshops
  • Access to industry partners network
  • Support from our team

What you give your students:

  • Paid internships with local clean energy employers
  • One-on-one mentorship from industry professionals
  • No-cost college-level courses and certifications
  • Direct connections with union careers and trade schools
  • Stipends to cover participation costs
  • Resume building and interview prep

How It Works

1

Enroll & Get Trained

Sign up and complete educator orientation (live virtually or on-demand) to master the curriculum.
2

Teach with Support

Deliver standards-aligned lessons with provided materials, supplies and ongoing staff support.
3

Connect Students with the Industry

Link your students directly with industry mentors, partners and career opportunities.
4

Track Student Success

Watch your students secure internships, jobs and pathways into clean energy careers.
Get Started

Who It's For

We’re looking for teachers to equip high school students to launch a career in clean energy. You qualify if you are:

  • Teaching in grades 9–12 in San Diego County
  • Interested in introducing pathways to energy careers to your students

We offer stipends and support to help educators and students participate. Priority is given to schools designated as Title I.

How to Get Started

Join our interest list to be notified when enrollment opens in March 2026.

Educator interest form

Frequently Asked Questions

For Educators

The curriculum, training, lesson supplies and ongoing support are all provided at no cost to eligible schools and educators. Additionally, we offer stipends and connect students with paid internships to ensure money isn’t a barrier to participation.

We serve high school educators in San Diego County. We prioritize working with historically underserved communities and Title I schools.

Join our interest list to be notified when enrollment opens.

CTE provides hands-on, standards-aligned instruction that prepares students for specific career pathways. Our clean energy CTE curriculum combines classroom learning with real-world applications, connecting academic concepts with industry careers.
We work with your schedule and available instructional time and provide ongoing support. The curriculum is flexible and modular. Most lessons can be taught within a class period. You can integrate lessons into existing classes or offer as standalone coursework.
The program begins with an educator orientation to learn the ins and outs of the curriculum and answer your questions. You can also join professional development workshops on topics like energy efficiency, integrated demand side management (IDSM) and how to connect students with mentorship and internship opportunities. Training stipends are provided to compensate you for your training time.
You’ll have access to program staff for ongoing support, a network of fellow educators, connections to industry partners, and all materials needed to deliver the curriculum successfully.
We handle the matching process. Our team works with local employers to place students in paid internships that align with their interests and career goals.
The curriculum covers renewable energy systems, electrification, decarbonization, energy efficiency and STEAM skills. It’s standards-aligned and integrates STEAM concepts.
Yes. The curriculum is modular and flexible, allowing you to adapt it to your teaching style and students’ needs while maintaining alignment with the standards.

General Questions

Entry-level positions in clean energy typically start at $35,000–$60,000+ annually, with significant growth potential. Skilled workers like electricians and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians with experience and certifications in the clean energy sector can earn $70,000–$100,000+.

Clean energy careers include solar installation technicians, electric vehicle specialists, energy auditors, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians, wind turbine technicians, energy efficiency consultants and many more. Many of these are high-paying union jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree.
The term IDSM refers to strategies that optimize energy use through efficiency, electrification and demand response. It’s a growing field with significant career opportunities in California’s clean energy transition.
We partner with local colleges, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, clean energy employers and workforce development organizations across San Diego County, including the U.S. Green Building Council-California’s Green Building Corps network.

We offer a complete pathway: classroom education, one-on-one mentorship from industry professionals, paid internships, pathways to certifications and college coursework, and direct connections with employers. It’s a clear path to high-quality clean energy jobs.