Summer program introduces offshore wind industry and the potential for future careers
by Bonnie Bain
This summer, 11 high school students from the North Shore, including 7 from Salem and 3 from Lynn, attended KidWind Offshore Wind Academy; this robust attendance resulted in part from SAFE’s outreach to the community. The week-long program at Massachusetts Maritime Academy includes teachers and students who spend the week involved in hands-on learning about offshore wind power and the opportunities this industry offers for future careers.
The KidWind Offshore Wind Academy is a collaboration between Self-Reliance (a women-led energy nonprofit on Cape Cod), University of Massachusetts, University of Delaware, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Mass Maritime Academy. This summer’s program was funded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC). Students attend the program for free.
Students were delighted to learn about clean energy, particularly, offshore wind, which they knew little about.
–Megan Amsler of Self-Reliance
Last year SAFE featured Megan Amsler of Self-Reliance in a webinar, where she shared information about the program, which is a spinoff of the national KidWind. This summer, she says, “students were delighted to learn about clean energy, particularly, offshore wind, which they knew little about. They were excited about all of the very interesting and fun-looking jobs in science and technology that we exposed them to.”
As soon as SAFE heard about KidWind Offshore Wind Academy, we wanted to assure that Salem students had a chance to attend. SAFE promoted the KidWind opportunity in both Spanish and English through Salem and Lynn public school newsletters that go out to parents. We also worked with the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program at Salem High and key staff in Lynn public schools to more directly reach students. Finally, we reached out to over 30 partner organizations in Essex County to spread the word. We were pleased with the increase of North Shore students attending this year. In 2022, one student from Salem attended the program; this summer, we saw a 10-fold increase in North Shore participation.
This free, all-expenses paid experience is a fabulous opportunity for the young folks in our region to be exposed to offshore wind career pathways as Salem’s port undergoes development as an offshore wind marshaling yard. Says Amsler, “for many of the students, this is their first sleep-away adventure. They made great friendships, worked hard on their projects as teams, and were genuinely interested in learning about the jobs this industry has to offer.”
Bonnie Bain is the offshore wind program manager for SAFE.
Photo credit: KidWind Offshore Wind Academy