The SCV Family of Water Suppliers, the coalition of water purveyors in Santa Clarita, helped sponsor and organize the “Green STEM Summit” on College of the Canyon’s campus Saturday morning.

Consisting of the Castaic Lake Water Agency, Newhall County Water District, Santa Clarita Water Division, Los Angeles County Waterworks District 36, Valencia Water Company, and the City of Santa Clarita, the SCV Family of Water Suppliers worked alongside other Santa Clarita Environmental Education Consortium (SCEEC) businesses and institutions to educate local youth about “green” career paths at the “Green STEM Summit.”

“SCEEC exists in part due to the efforts of COC faculty and staff from years ago who wished to provide grants for K-12 students to learn about the environment and environmental careers,” said Tim Honadel, COC Director of International Services and Programs. “The college hosts the ‘Green STEM Summit’ because it’s great opportunity for students to learn about what types of careers are in the environmental field.”

Related: SCV Family Of Water Suppliers Releases 2016 Annual Water Quality Report

With 200 people registered to attend, a crop gleaned from COC and AP Environmental Science classes throughout the Hart District and students from a Los Angeles charter high school, the conference occupied most of the College of the Canyons University Center.

“This event helps educate high schoolers, and community college students about environmental careers,” said Stephanie Anagnoson, Castaic Lake Water Agency’s conservation supervisor. “We expose the attendants to a bunch of things, some of which you like, some that you do not like, but you wouldn’t have the experience otherwise.”

Both high school and community college students engaged with professionals during the summit.

While high schoolers sat down with professionals in environmental careers, the community college students attended panel discussions and workshops that prepared them for the environmental career job market.

Related: SCV Family Of Water Suppliers Declares Temporary Irrigation Ban A Success

“Our ‘speed-mentoring’ is where we have mentors from all sorts of different fields, like environmental engineers, environmental safety and water, and the students listen to the person and ask them questions for about 15 minutes and then they move on to another professional,” said Anagnoson. “It’s kind of like speed dating.”

A wide variety of jobs are available to college students who pursue green energy careers, she said.

“For the community college students, we had a series of panels on different careers, such as our water industry panel, and workshops on job surfing, resumes and getting into ‘green’ careers,” said Anagnoson. “(The speakers) are discussing what they do on a daily basis in order to give people an idea of what it would be like if they want to go into one of these industries.”

Along with those activities led by those already in “green” careers, the discussions also concerned how someone could change career paths.

“One thing we’ve heard pretty consistently is that people shift careers a number of times during their life,” Anagnoson said. “So some of these panels and workshops are about hearing from people that are bringing skills from other fields into ‘green’ careers and how they made the transition.”

SCEEC is a public-private partnership between by Lockheed Martin, College of the Canyons, SCV Family of Water Suppliers, Sempra Energy and other community stakeholders, according to organization’s website.

“SCEEC’s mission of ‘improving environmental literacy in the Santa Clarita Valley’ is achieved through three main goals: Supporting K-14 teachers and students with EE resources; developing partnerships to support its activities; and providing leadership to promote local sustainable development,” said SCEEC’s website.

For more information about SCEEC or the “Green Stem Summit,” visit the organization’s website here.

For more information about the SCV Family of Water Suppliers, visit their website here.

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