On February 4th, 2013, GRID North Valley had the pleasure of partnering with Yuba County Office of Education Youth Build for a successful 12 panel installation in Yuba City, CA. Youth Build U.S.A. is an organization that works with low-income, out of school young people to provide opportunities to continue and complete their high school diplomas, learn a trade through apprenticeship and job training, and serve their communities by helping to construct housing for low-income families and homeless people. YouthBuild USAs Green Initiative supports pathways of opportunity for YouthBuild students and graduates to pursue green careers and environmental leadership, while increasing the production of green affordable housing.
This initiative made partnering with Youth Build a natural fit for a partnership with GRID Alternatives as we are able to provide hands-on experience in solar technology and implementation. Director Sandy Waterhouse and student instructor Mike Myers worked with the North Valley office to coordinate an installation which approximately 20 young people were able to participate in. They learned about OSHA safety requirements, roof-top ettiquette, electrical retrofitting, and actual panel hardware installtion. The low-income homeowner who had recently become widowed was incredibly grateful to receive her solar energy system. A big thank you to all of the youth who participated. We look forward to working with Youth Build U.S.A. in the future!
For more information about Youth Build U.S.A., visit their website at https://youthbuild.org/