This spring, the Energy Warriors Green Workforce Development Program celebrated the graduation of the program’s largest learning cohort to date. The ceremony was held on a sunny Friday morning at the Ithaca Presbyterian Church’s Dodds Hall, capping 12 weeks of training held in the space. The nine graduates were joined by CCE Tompkins County program staff and educators, county employees, representatives from partner organizations, and other supporters.  

After shared refreshments and brief remarks from the Energy Warriors program founder Aloja Airewele and teacher Keegan Young, each graduate was given a chance to share their experiences and thoughts on the program. Keegan then presented each with an environmental specialist certificate to commemorate the trainings and additional professional certifications (Building Performance Science and OSHA-10) that they had earned.

“This is about the planet and our community,” Keegan said. “If you do one thing, help one person, that’s where it starts. I saw a lot of people from diverse backgrounds forming relationships of support that just happened with a snap. It’s not just about classroom learning — though environmental literacy is important — it’s what we teach each other. I can’t wait see what you go out in the world to do.” 

What do graduates do? The Energy Warriors program prepares people in Tompkins County to enter jobs in green energy sectors such as heat pump and solar installers, insulation technicians, reuse specialists, and more. Over a 12-week period, participants develop environmental literacy through the acclaimed Roots of Success curriculum and benefit from practical, hands-on lessons, field trips, and group projects. Through these trainings and direct connections to employers, past participants have gone on to work as HVAC technicians, environmental educators, community energy advisors and more — one notable success being current instructor Keegan Young. 

“When I was introduced [to the program] I was unsure about it,” shared Kat, one of this spring’s graduates. Kat described struggling to find work before connecting with the county workforce development office and learning about the Energy Warriors program, which provides a stipend to those attending the classes. “It brought income, but it also brought an educational purpose…It was important to be able to understand things around me, get a lot of good experience, be able to get into the community, and see what Ithaca has to offer.” Kat expressed appreciation for the lessons learned, and shared that she’s also recommended the program to others in her life.  

After the certificates were awarded, Dawn Montanye, the issue leader for CCE Tompkins’ Energy & Environment team, shared a few closing thoughts. 

“Saying yes to the program, that’s the first step. That has set you on a particular path,” Dawn said. “You don’t know where it’s going to lead, but you’ve gotten this incredible grounding, to know how organizations work, what the different sectors are that exist, and a whole lot of potential opportunities. As our biggest cohort, you’re riding on this wave where the program just keeps getting better…and you are benefiting from that.” 

The next cohort will be in the fall, with an online application for those who are interested. Email any questions to EnergyWarriors@cornell.edu.