About the Grant

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the Community Capacity Building Grant Program (DE-EM0005326), this three-year, $2,000,000 initiative supports the development of the Energy Learning Center at Columbia Basin College. The goal is to create a sustainable and diverse pipeline for the clean energy workforce.

Project Goals

• Develop hands-on energy education and training programs.
• Increase awareness of energy careers, especially among underrepresented students.
• Partner with K-12 schools and industry to provide dual credit courses, mentorship, and internships.
• Redesign CBC’s Nuclear Technology Program with new curriculum and simulator training.
• Improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in energy and technical education.

Keys Activities

• Host quarterly field trips to local energy sites.
• Launch a new dual-credit Introduction to Energy course in high schools.
• Offer six student mentorship workshops quarterly.
• Provide a minimum of 10 internships per year for CBC students.
• Deploy a new X-energy nuclear simulator in Richland, WA.

Expected Impact

The project will serve students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds across Benton and Franklin counties. By the end of the grant, CBC aims to increase clean energy program enrollment, place more students in internships, and raise graduation rates from underrepresented communities by 20%.

*The Energy Learning Center is funded by a $2,000,000 [SD1] grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, DE-EM0005326. The grant timeline is October 01, 2024 to September 30, 2027.