CHICAGO, May 2, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- 22C DEVELOPMENT LLC ("22C"), an Illinois community solar company, and Friends
of Uplift a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ("FOU") associated with Uplift
Community High School ("Uplift") in Uptown, Chicago located on Wilson Avenue announced
today that they entered into a partnership agreement in 2023 (the
"Partnership") to enable Uplift to build a sustainability early
college pathway (the "Pathway") for its students to take advantage
of the in state opportunities associated with the Clean and
Equitable Jobs Act or "CEJA" (Public Act 102-0662) which was signed
into law by Governor Pritzker in September
2021. The Pathway's purpose at its core is to help
effectuate CEJA and give Uplift students the opportunity and skills
to achieve professionally within the burgeoning clean energy sector
in Illinois but more broadly the
country as America continues to shift much of its electric
consumption from traditional fossil fuels to a more diversified mix
of renewable generation technologies and battery energy storage
systems.
Uplift's new Pathway will include a curriculum focused on
environmentalism and sustainability, scholarships for
certifications and degrees, and will also include local mentorship
and career building opportunities for students with 22C, its
partners and other members of the industry who'd like to play a
role. The Pathway will extend into the 2030s and be expanded to
other age group schools in the Uptown area so that the neighborhood
can further its momentum of offering a fully integrated STEAM
experience for Chicago students.
The Partnership will also provide Uplift with funds for key
building and facility upgrades so students can have a dedicated
Pathway homeroom on campus.
"We have an opportunity to create something at the school that
will provide opportunities for students in very significant and
life-changing ways," said Jeremy
Falk, President of FOU.
For the Partnership 22C has committed over one million dollars to FOU as the groups continue
to work together. 22C's Alex Farkes,
a neighbor of FOU and Uplift's in Uptown credited Uptown's
camaraderie and cohesion as one of the keys to the Pathway's
creation in 2023.
"I formed 22C in 2022 and one of the first things I did like any
start-up was find a local bank to get an account at. I chose
Huntington Bank next door to my office on Broadway and after one
conversation the branch manager Richard
Stark walked me over to the Uptown Chamber of Commerce
across the street. The Uptown Chamber's leaders Sarah Wilson and Greg
Carroll had already known about CEJA and quickly became
instrumental in introducing me to the local schools around the
corner on Wilson. Once I went over to Uplift and met with some of
their leaders, notably Uplift's Principal Dr. Graham and Early
College STEAM Specialist TJ Pavlov, we formed a bond and
shared a vision that education and a student feeling heard and
seen, are the two foundational building blocks for success that
every student should get as they enter adulthood and then the
professional world. TJ and Dr. Graham took the lead and were able
to weave those principles with core CEJA fundamentals to form the
sustainability pathway at Uplift," said 22C's Alex Farkes. "This entire process has been
organic, local and fun and is coming to life with homeroom
construction planned to start this summer."
"What excites me the most about this partnership between 22C,
Uplift and Friends of Uplift are the opportunities that will open
up to some of our most marginalized students," said Dr.
Graham. "This investment in our youth to learn and eventually lead
this work around environmental sustainability will provide them the
resources and knowledge base to pursue environmental justice in
ways that not only changes our collective relationship with the
ecosystem but provides an economic opportunity for our students
across different socio-economic backgrounds. This investment and
this new pathway have so much potential to change lives."
Uplift's TJ Pavlov had the following to add about the Pathway,
"This is the first full Early College Degree Pathway in a Chicago
Public School high school that will prepare and connect students to
careers in energy and sustainability. The clean energy job market
is growing in Illinois and these
opportunities can be transformational for our students, the
community, and far beyond."
The Partnership is one of the state's first clear signals that
CEJA is enabling and causing private companies to actively invest
heavily in making sure they will have a large impact to effectuate
CEJA.
"In order for CEJA to come to fruition on both the equitable
jobs and renewable generation side, companies need to make
significant investments in their communities and think differently.
Ultimately, we all saw an awareness issue on the equitable jobs
side which was then the genesis of building a program that creates
a perpetual pipeline of skilled new professionals that have the
optionality to enter the energy sector and make a good living. On
the renewable generation side there's a lot of work that needs to
get done too. It's twofold; first, if the utilities can continue to
work to problem solve with developers, and second, if developers
can deeply respect and invest time to understand the county, city,
and village communities their projects are in, then there's a lot
of good that can come for a wide range of stakeholders. Low-cost
power, high demand for new jobs, more distributed renewable
generation vs. higher cost centralized fossil plants, substantial
new local tax revenue, and then property owners getting to use land
leases as a hedge as crop prices continue to experience high
volatility," added Farkes. "These are just a few examples that
could lead to CEJA becoming one of the most impactful pieces of
legislation for energy and job creation history in Illinois."
At the time of publication there are over 10 GWs of distributed
generation projects in development in Illinois representing about a 500% increase
since September 2021.
About Friends of Uplift
Friends of Uplift is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization made up
of parents, alumni, and local community members that support the
mission and vision of Uplift Community High School. Our main focus
is facilitating fundraising efforts to help improve the student
experience and create more educational opportunities. FOU is
located on Broadway in Uptown.
About 22C
22C is an Illinois company on a
mission to: 1. help prepare the world for the next century through
sustainable infrastructure investments primarily through community
solar & 2. help prepare students for the clean energy
revolution by supporting education, mentorship, and professional
development in Uptown, Chicago. 22C since inception has
invested in over ½ GW of renewable energy projects and plans to
have financed over 200 MWs of community solar in Illinois by the end of 2025. 22C is located on
Broadway in Uptown.
About Uplift Community High School
At Uplift, we ensure an inclusive learning environment exposing
all students to challenging and relevant academic content and
skills. Students authentically demonstrate their learning with
effective communication and real world projects where they explore
their passions, interests and concerns through coursework, early
college offerings, internships, and partnerships. We prepare our
students to thrive in the world that is, while supporting them to
envision and build a world that should be. As a
sustainable community school, with an early-college STEAM emphasis,
Uplift will empower and inspire the next generation of change
agents. Graduates will look critically at the world as they advance
new technology, ideas, and arguments that challenge the status quo,
while creating a more hopeful, equitable, just, and sustainable
future. Uplift is located on Wilson Avenue in Uptown.
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SOURCE 22c Development LLC