Empowering Future Innovators: 100+ Middle-Schoolers to Attend 4th Annual Future Green Leaders Summit for Inyo & Mono Counties

Empowering Future Innovators: 100+ Middle-Schoolers to Attend 4th Annual Future Green Leaders Summit, for Inyo & Mono Counties

Connecting students in underserved communities with early access to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) careers and sustainable technologies 

Bishop, CA (September 30, 2026) – Picture every student, regardless of their background, discovering the opportunities available in sustainability and energy efficiency, and gaining real access to pursue meaningful careers in this dynamic industry. This vision – as delivered through the Future Green Leaders Summit STEAM career and resource fair for the last few years across different regions – is becoming a reality for more than 100 middle school students from schools within the Inyo and Mono Counties. This event directly engages rural schools, which have historically faced systemic resource gaps, and empowers students to become the architects of a cleaner, and brighter future. On October 8, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. these students will attend the annual summit at the Cerro Coso Community College – Eastern Sierra College Center (4090 W Line St, Bishop, CA 93514). Held for the first time in Inyo County, and also serving Mono County, the Summit is presented by the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN), County of Los Angeles.

The Summit, which changes locations annually, is more than an event; it is a dynamic, immersive experience that will spark passion for green careers among young students. Participants get hands-on experience in product design, storytelling through film and music, induction cooking, building their own dream sustainable community, and exploring diverse career pathways in sustainability and energy efficiency—all aimed at reducing carbon emissions and creating a healthier, more resilient planet.

The students will engage directly with leaders in the field including filmmaker Adèle Jacques, and Thomas Yount and his game “Climate Cooldown”. They will meet with AY Young, a singer-songwriter, global touring pop artist, United Nations Young Leader, and founder of Battery Tour who uses music and clean-energy-powered performance to connect young people with the careers, technologies, and opportunities shaping California’s green economy. Students will also explore STEAM exhibits and resource fair booths hosted by government and industry partners, and participate in student breakout sessions.

“The Future Green Leaders Summit is about empowering the next generation. Each year, in every community we visit, the Summit ignites curiosity and enthusiasm. Every student should have access to opportunities, inspiration, and the tools needed to create a cleaner, brighter future. Using creativity and fun, leaders will showcase their crafts and collaborate with youth to envision a resilient, sustainable world. Our hope is that students realize their potential to achieve these goals is limitless,”  said Michael Owh, Director of the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department.

Middle school students will be attending from schools across the Inyo and Mono Counties school districts. Designed as a collaboration between local government, private industry, and higher education, this experience supports the career readiness goals of these school districts. The event is offered at no cost to participating schools on behalf of SoCalREN and is closed to the public.

Tourism, outdoor recreation, and public land management are the largest employment and economic sectors in Inyo and Mono counties, and opportunities are expanding for workers in climate adaptation, ecosystem management, and renewable energy. Supporting jobs in these fields is critical, as parts of Eastern California face significant socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities, including elevated pollution in local agricultural and transit areas (CalEnviroScreen 4.0). Declining Sierra Nevada snowpack and severe wildfire risks are also increasing local demand for resilient workforce skills (CEC, California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment). California-wide clean energy employment in 2024 reached over 551,600 workers, driven by steady growth in energy efficiency and clean technology sectors statewide (Clean Jobs California 2025). Participating in the Summit will allow students to experience firsthand the exciting green career opportunities and educational pathways available to them in a fun, youth-friendly environment.

For many, this annual summit is the first exposure to these fields. Since its inception in 2023 and through this year’s event, it will have inspired 2,700 students with prior dynamic events in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and San Bernardino. Previous speakers included elected officials, LAUSD district leaders, San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran, and district leaders from Los Angeles County’s Internal Services Department.

SoCalREN provides workforce education and training programming, including initiatives that introduce youth and young adults from disadvantaged communities to clean energy careers. While the Future Green Leaders Summit offers students early exposure to these opportunities, SoCalREN’s Architecture, Construction, Engineering and Sustainability (ACES) Pathway Program provides a longer-term pathway connecting high school students to college, career, and work-based learning opportunities in these fields. Over the past 11 years, ACES has connected more than 2,300 Title I high school students to STEM education and career opportunities. Collectively, ACES students have earned more than $283,000 in wages through paid summer internships hosted by industry partners.

The Workshop agenda will include:

AY Young, Storyteller and emcee (AY Young, Battery Tour LLC)

Local Stories, Lasting Impact: Sustainability Through Storytelling (Adèle Jacques, filmmaker, screenwriter and storyteller)

Communities of the Future with Katherine Ferwerda (Katherine Ferwerda, immersive experiences producer and founder of Social Study Studio)

Re-Imagine It! Future Green Design Challenge  (Craig Provost, Innovation Coach and industrial designer)

World Builders: Imagining Our Green Future (Thomas Yount, Founder of Clean Earth Future and designer of the game “Climate Cooldown”)

To learn more about the Summit, please visit the website. To exhibit at or support the event, please click here. For Media Inquiries, please reach out to Julie Du Brow, Media Lead for FGLS on behalf of SoCalREN, (310) 922-1301 or [email protected].

About the Southern California Regional Energy Network

Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN) was created to harness the collective power of residents, businesses, agricultural customers, and the public agencies to achieve an unprecedented level of energy savings across Southern California. The SoCalREN Programs are administered by the County of Los Angeles and funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

About Future Green Leaders Summit (FGLS)

The Future Green Leaders Summit is a dynamic, collaborative event that exposes students to the exciting world of green career pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Offered at no cost to participating schools, the summit is a partnership between local government, private industry, and higher education institutions. Its core mission is to promote diversity and inclusion by connecting underserved youth with early exposure to one of the nation’s fastest-growing job markets.