A Roadmap Built on Trust
To help you navigate your giving journey with peace of mind, we have committed ourselves to the highest standards of accountability. We are proud to announce that SEI has earned the 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid.

Why the Platinum Seal Matters
This designation is the highest level of recognition awarded by Candid. It ensures that when you choose to partner with SEI, you have a clear view of:

• Our Shared Mission: Strategic priorities that align with your values.
• The Proof: Real-world outcomes and community impact metrics.
• The Foundation: Robust financial stewardship and organizational leadership.

This Platinum status isn't just a measure of SEI's achievements — it's a promise that your partnership is creating real, measurable change in the goal to  build a more resilient world for all communities. 

You can view our full nonprofit profile and learn more about our impact by visiting our Candid page:
SEI Profile

Thank you for being part of our community and for helping us continue to grow, improve, and serve with integrity. Ready to amplify your impact? Donate using the button below.  

San Diego’s ambitious clean energy and decarbonization goals demand a skilled, diverse workforce. SEI believes that creating a sustainable future means empowering all communities with pathways to high-wage, high-growth careers in the clean energy economy.

That’s why we are thrilled to announce that SEI, alongside partners Resource Innovations (RI) and the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County (MAAC), has been selected to deliver Workforce Training and Capacity Building, a new program from the San Diego Regional Energy Network (SDREN). ​This comprehensive, system-wide initiative will serve 2,200 individuals entering or upskilling in energy efficiency, electrification and decarbonization industries.
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“With this project, we are focusing on enhancing the great work that is already being done in San Diego through collaboration, refinement and streamlining rather than creating new initiatives,” says SEI Program Director Tiffany Mrotek. “We believe all the pieces are already here; it’s all about creating harmony in the workforce system to better serve San Diego.”

The Pathway's robust virtual modules equipped the students with essential professional skills. Aria Brown, who interned with the City of Charlotte, shared, “The Pathway Program modules were helpful in preparing me for my internship, especially in terms of setting expectations and building professional skills... Topics like workplace communication, goal-setting, and time management gave me a solid foundation.” She added that the focus on self-reflection helped her stay mindful of her growth and feel “more prepared and confident stepping into a professional environment.”

For Atire Miller, an intern with E4 Carolinas, the experience was invaluable: “Not only did I learn about the energy industry but I got to work on my networking skills... I came out with more knowledge of the industry and I became a better presenter and became more confident in my work as time grew on.”

These students are now armed with real-world experience, expanded networks, and greater industry knowledge, ready to make an impact! We can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.
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To learn more about the HBCU Energy Leadership Pathway, please contact us at energizecolleges@seiinc.org. ​

In this 3-part challenge, students learn about energy and power, then use their newfound knowledge to audit their campus using industry-standards tools and lead a school-wide campaign to conserve energy. Students develop technical energy career skills, as well as transferable project management, team work, public speaking, graphic design, communication, and leadership skills. All challenge materials are available in English and Spanish. Challenge activities also help participants develop leadership skills and can be completed as a class, in small groups/clubs, or even individually!  

100% of students of past SEI challenges have reported that as a result of participating, they are more likely to take action or change their behavior to improve or protect the environment.
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While registration was recommended by early October, registration for the challenge is still open! If you miss this round, keep an eye out for the Spring version of this challenge!

School gardens play an important role in our school communities as a space for learning and connecting with nature. Yet, while 50% of California schools have dedicated garden spaces, fewer than 9% actively use them. 

Not on our watch! SEI has been a long supporter of garden education throughout the Bay Area, and is continuing to do so through their latest program: Energize Schools Garden Hub. ESGH is providing free services to elementary schools throughout San Francisco to help school communities engage with their garden. Teachers and school community members want to be empowered and excited to support their school gardens, and ESGH meets you where you are. We offer training workshops, instructional support, maintenance planning support, and access to garden curriculum and resources.

One partner school, Dolores Huerta Elementary School,  wanted to ensure that their educators felt prepared and ready to teach in the garden at least once a week this school year. In mid-August, two SEI team members facilitated a training with all of Dolores Huerta’s educators (TK to 5th grade) to introduce them to the ESGH Garden Curriculum and how to position themselves for success in the garden. After receiving this training, one educator expressed that they are, “ready to take our students outdoors and teach them!” 
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Are you interested in checking out our Garden Curriculum? Email energizeschools@seiinc.org to request access today.

Dear Friends and Supporters of SEI:

It is with a heavy heart that I share the difficult news that our AmeriCorps grant, which supported SEI’s Climate Corps Education Outside program, was canceled without notice, along with 1,000 other program grants nationwide. This vital program has brought garden-based education to more than 10,000 children in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties each year since 2019. As a result, we face the heartbreaking reality that 29 dedicated garden educators — individuals who have inspired curiosity, nurtured growth, and built community in Bay Area school gardens — will be losing their jobs. 

Despite this sudden and immediate loss of AmeriCorps funding, we are currently able to retain our 29 Fellows until May 15 through alternative funding sources. Our goal is to extend this timeline so that students, teachers, and Fellows can experience as much closure and stability as possible. We are urgently calling on our community for emergency support to help bridge this gap.

SEI is proud of the incredible and inspiring sustainability leaders who serve on our board. Today, we spotlight Alyssa Thomas, Program Officer of Invest in Our Future. For 10 years, Alyssa has been committed to building just and equitable economic opportunities for communities, businesses, and workers. 

Why do you serve on SEI’s board?
SEI plays a critical role in shaping the way our youth, young adults, and adults understand climate change, its impacts on communities, and the economic opportunities that solving the climate crisis presents to us. The important education that SEI is delivering creates climate advocates, deploys sustainability programs, and sets individuals on climate career pathways. I serve on the board because SEI’s work is critical to what I’ve made my own personal and professional mission, ensuring that the transition to a sustainable climate includes economic opportunities for all. 

What about SEI inspires you the most?
When I was in high school (in the early 2000s), I had no outlet for my concerns about the climate. None of my course work talked about climate change, and it seemed like I was the only one who cared. I had to learn everything from my dial-up internet or books I found at the library. I spent years thinking about climate change as something I advocated for, but not something I worked in. Eventually, I understood the intersection of the economic development work I had been doing and the climate. Because of SEI, youth and young adults don’t have to hope they stumble upon a connection or realization about how climate can become not only their personal passion, but also a part of their career.  That is what I love the most — that SEI is helping ensure that the next generation truly understands the climate in a way that my generation or older generations did not get access to.

What has, thus far, been the most pivotal or defining experience of your career?
This is a hard question because I’ve loved my whole career. I’ve now moved into philanthropy, but prior to this I’ve spent my career in the field building programs that support workers and small businesses. I’ve been on roofs at 6:00 am with solar installers to understand what training, safety, and professional support they needed. I’ve spent weekends helping small businesses fill out loan applications to finance new projects or equipment. And I’ve spent endless hours speaking to high school students about their passions and dreams for the future. I’ve loved my career because I prioritized the reason I was doing this work, the people. I made sure that I listened to people, that they knew I cared about their experiences, and that I was going to build something with them, not for them.

How do you see business leading the charge in building a sustainable future?
The private sector plays an important role in our transition to a sustainable future. It will be building climate infrastructure and clean energy projects, and it needs guardrails and incentives to perform in an equitable way — even clean energy and climate related businesses.

• We need workers demanding quality jobs, community participation and environmental justice.
• We need regulatory bodies, like OSHA, to prioritize workers' safety over potential profits.
• We need tax incentives and other subsidization programs to lower the cost of build, production, or entry into a market — such as adders on the Investment Tax Credit that provide a bigger financial benefit to lower income communities.
• We need customers to demand sustainable supply chain, operations, and HR practices.
• We need voters to influence political leadership to support climate and clean energy bills.

Students and fellows in SEIs programs can work with businesses, internally or externally, to hold them to high standards to ensure that not only are they working on projects that benefit the climate, but they are doing so equitably.
                   
What advice to you have for those looking to enter the clean energy sector? 

1. Talk to people who are already in the sector. LinkedIn is a great way to research clean energy companies, nonprofits, or government entities. Most professionals I know are more than happy to respond to a LinkedIn message to talk about their work.
2. Explore all the different functions in the clean energy sector. You can be anything from an electrician to a public relations specialist. The function you perform does not need to be something specific to the industry, like a wind technician, but can be a function that you enjoy and exists across multiple industries.
3. Get into the field! You will understand what it takes to build a clean energy project much more if you arrange a site visit. If you are a Fellow at a solar company and working with the finance team, tell them you want to see an install happen in real life. If you are a student in an Energize Schools program, tell your teacher you want to go to a wind farm and learn how it was built.
4. Be an advocate. The clean energy economy requires strong political leadership. Be prepared to understand local, state, and federal policy, how it impacts the work, and where you should civically engage to support the clean energy transition.

What does a resilient world look like to you?
For me, a resilient world is one that is rooted in empathy and care. We must care about one another, other living beings, and the planet to believe everything is worth protecting. We must care enough that we reject the notion of individualism and otherism, and advocate for things outside of ourselves. In a time where we are being pitted against each other, and against our planet, it’s important to remember that we will make it through and build the resilient world we dream of by refusing to give up our empathy.  

The HBCU Energy Leadership Pathway is more than just a program. It’s a gateway to meaningful careers in energy for students in the Carolinas. "Yet, this program is about so much more than just career readiness — it’s about empowering our future leaders and making sure HBCU students have a seat at the table in shaping the future of energy," says Aleena Oakley, the HBCU Pathway Program Coordinator. "Our goal is to provide HBCU students with the skills, mentorship, and opportunities they need to thrive in the energy sector."
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Offered by energy trade association E4 Carolinas, in partnership with SEI, the Pathway builds a workforce ready to drive innovation and equity in energy. The goal is to increase the number of HBCU students pursuing careers in this vital industry. Open to students of all majors, this program provides hands-on experiences, mentorship, and career development opportunities.

​Ken Canavan, President of E4 Carolinas mentioned: "As a society, all we do, all we create, all we innovate depends on energy. A career in energy is not only personally rewarding but provides the foundation for today’s society. This program provides students with an opportunity to engage in this important field and employers exceptionally qualified candidates. It is a win for all." 

​The program is represented by a multitude of universities and academic disciplines, including eight institutions across the Carolinas: Claflin University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Shaw University, and South Carolina State University. Students from majors such as biological engineering, civil engineering, environmental science, political science, computer science, marketing, and business administration are all contributing to a multidisciplinary workforce poised to impact the energy sector.

"My ultimate goal at the end of this pathway is not only to maintain lasting connections with those who contributed to my personal and professional growth but also to secure a meaningful internship where I can engage in impactful work."  — Jordyn Champion

"Creating a solid, workable framework for incorporating renewable energy sources into urban planning would be a top priority."— Edith Asmah
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The HBCU Energy Leadership Pathway is made possible through support from the Duke Energy Foundation, HASI Foundation, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, and other sponsors.