Where Climate Action Meets Career Pathways 

As Earth Day approaches, conversations around sustainability often focus on the environment — clean air, renewable energy, and reducing our carbon footprint. At Sabathani Community Center, that work is happening in real time. But just as important is who gets to be part of that future. 

Through the Community Energy Project, Sabathani is not only investing in long-term environmental solutions like geothermal heating, solar energy, and battery storage, but it’s also creating hands-on workforce opportunities that connect community members to growing careers in the energy and construction sectors. 

A Project with Community at the Center

Currently underway at Sabathani is a major infrastructure transformation: the installation of a geothermal HVAC system, alongside future solar and battery storage systems. These upgrades are expected to significantly reduce energy use, lower operating costs, and strengthen the building’s resilience — ensuring that critical services can continue even during power outages. 

But behind the scenes, another kind of work is happening: training, exposure, and skill-building for people entering the field. 

Through a paid internship program (with funding from Xcel Energy Foundation) running from March through December, three Community Energy Project interns are working alongside project partners to support the installation and learn firsthand what it takes to build more energy-efficient systems. 

Meet the Interns

Each intern brings a unique background and a shared interest in building something bigger than themselves. 

Tefera comes to the project with experience in welding and hands-on work. After completing Home Energy Training through the Center for Energy and Environment and earning his Building Science Principles certification at Sabathani, he was drawn to the technical side of construction and saw this as an opportunity to deepen his skills. He’s especially interested in gaining real-world experience in the field and exploring where this path can take him. 

MJ is using the internship to explore different areas within construction, particularly HVAC and electrical systems. Also a graduate of the Home Energy Training program at Sabathani, MJ sees this as a chance to figure out where he wants to focus his career while contributing to something meaningful. “If energy goes out, the building will still stay on,” he shared. “It’s helping the community.” Outside of work, MJ brings an entrepreneurial spirit. He previously started his own tea business, Himalko Tea, and has a curiosity that shows up in everything from documentaries to new ideas. 

Areianna (Arei) brings more than 15 years of construction experience, primarily in single-family housing, along with recent electrical training through MSEEP. While she waits to be called into union electrical work, she saw this internship as a way to stay active in the field while expanding her knowledge. “It’s an eye-opener — what it really takes for buildings to be energy efficient,” she noted. Arei is especially interested in how energy systems function within buildings and is eager to apply her experience to larger-scale efficiency projects like this one. 

Learning by Doing

Right now, much of the interns’ work involves preparing the space for installation — construction cleaning, organizing, and supporting the crews that will carry out the geothermal work. It’s hands-on, behind-the-scenes labor that keeps the project moving. 

But just as important is what they’re gaining: exposure to complex systems, collaboration with experienced contractors, and a clearer understanding of where they want to grow. 

For MJ, it’s exploring HVAC and electrical pathways.
For Tefera, it’s building technical construction experience.
For Arei, it’s expanding into energy systems and large-scale efficiency projects. 

Why This Work Matters

Projects like this are often talked about in terms of environmental benefits, and those are real. Reduced emissions. Lower energy costs. Increased resilience. 

But there’s another impact that matters just as much. 

Access to careers in clean energy and construction hasn’t always been equitable. By creating entry points into these fields — especially through paid, hands-on opportunities — Sabathani is helping ensure that the benefits of the green economy are shared more broadly. 

This is what environmental justice looks like in practice: not just cleaner buildings, but clearer pathways to stability, skills, and long-term opportunity in the green economy. 

Looking Ahead

As construction continues and Earth Day invites us to reflect on the future we’re building, Sabathani’s Community Energy Project offers a glimpse of what’s possible when environmental goals and community investment move in tandem. 

A more sustainable building.
A more resilient community.
And a workforce that’s ready to lead what comes next. 

Sabathani staff, board members, interns, and community members gathered behind the building for a ceremonial groundbreaking, marking continued progress on geothermal well drilling for the Community Energy Project.