Green Tech Academy – Kansas City

Adopted formally by the city in 2022, the Kansas City, Missouri “Climate Protection and Resilience Plan” calls for a 100 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the city’s operations by 2030. The plan also includes a focus on the needs of marginalized communities who disproportionately experience the effects of climate change. Simultaneously, in the Kansas City area, some high schools are offering career and technical education (CTE) pathways for students to develop skills needed for the “climate-ready” workforce. MDRC is learning from schools and programs across the country that are building innovative programs to prepare high school students for jobs that address these shifting labor market needs.

The Green Tech Academy—a career academy within Olathe West High School in Olathe, Kansas (a suburb of Kansas City)—is pioneering the use of CTE pathways for green jobs. Building on the career academy model, which an MDRC evaluation found to have long-term, sustained effects on earnings for students, the Green Tech Academy is one of a new generation of high schools in the United States where students learn about renewable energy and sustainable agriculture through an in-depth curriculum, project-based learning, and industry-relevant internships and community experiences. The four-year program aims to teach students about the effects of energy use in daily life and to offer learning experiences focused on combating climate change. The Green Tech Academy serves 106 students and is one of 10 CTE academies within Olathe Public Schools. Of the 20 graduating seniors in 2023, Green Tech Academy reports that 15 plan to pursue careers or further education in green industries.

A central component of Green Tech Academy is its robust partnerships with 27 local industries. Students can participate in a myriad of opportunities such as field experiences at wind farms, solar arrays, and hydroelectric power plants. Through internships, they learn to conduct audits of buildings’ energy use and participate in Future Farmers of America. Students also obtain industry-recognized certifications such as OSHA 10, a 10-hour workplace safety course. Green Tech Academy also maintains strong partnerships with local postsecondary institutions such as Johnson County Community College, which allows students to receive college credits for completing already required courses. Beyond local partnerships, Green Tech Academy’s sustainable agriculture pathway has developed relationships with a network of other high schools in western Kansas that have agriculture programs, to collaborate and share best practices.