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A deepening partnership between Sonoma Clean Power  and the Career Technical Education Foundation is set to broaden hands-on technical training across schools in Sonoma and Mendocino counties through a new STEM Kit Lending Library.
Santa Rosa-based CTE works to innovate the “education-to-career experience to strengthen student success by expanding programs throughout Sonoma and Lake counties to align with the economic workforce development needs of local employers and industries,” according to the organization’s mission statement.
SCP is a Santa Rosa-based organization that works to lower electric rates and lobby for more renewable energy.
The initiative, aimed at middle and high school classrooms, transitions the region’s clean energy education from a fixed-site model to a mobile lending system, SCP representatives said. Under the current agreement, which runs through June 30, 2027, the organizations are prioritizing affordable, scalable projects to integrate into existing curricula without requiring specialized instructor training.
The program follows a successful 2025-26 pilot that engaged nearly 300 students. Officials view the library as a critical component of local workforce development, designed to prepare the next generation for technical roles in the evolving energy sector.
“Meeting our clean energy goals will take more than new technology. It will take a skilled local workforce,” Geof Syphers, CEO of SCP, said in a statement. “Through partnerships like this one, we can help students begin exploring careers in clean energy and the skilled trades while they are still in school.”
The library currently features Switch Relay Lab Kits, which focus on low-voltage circuitry, and Lectec equipment for electric vehicle design. Each set includes a seven-lesson “Sustainable STEM” curriculum covering engineering, materials science, and renewable energy systems. By rotating sets of 10 kits among different schools, the library can serve up to 18 classrooms per academic year.
Brandon Jewell, director of programs at CTE Foundation, emphasized the practical benefits for educators. “Every classroom is different, so teachers need resources they can adapt,” Jewell said. “This library gives educators the flexibility to use the kits in ways that fit their students, schedules, and curriculum.”
According to SCP representatives, participating teachers from the pilot phase — including those at Montgomery High School and Mendocino High School — reported high levels of student engagement and problem-solving.
Sean Dalton, SCP events manager, said the tactile nature of the kits is essential for retention. “There is a big difference between reading about electric technology and making it work with your own hands,” Dalton said.
Reservations for the fall semester are now open; the first checkout period began Aug. 24. Kits are available for pickup at the SCP Customer Center in downtown Santa Rosa. A formal program launch and ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for January 2027.
For more information about the program and the organizations, visit sonomacleanpower.org and ctesonomacounty.org.
You can reach Staff Writer Emma Molloy at emma.molloy@sonomanews.com.
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