Small Plant, Big Impact

Youth economic advancement

South LA South Bay Long Beach Gateway Cities West LA

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Underserved youth in Los Angeles often lack access to practical STEM education, green workforce training, and exposure to sustainable technologies. At the same time, our city faces urgent challenges related to climate change, energy use, and water management. This project addresses both gaps by building a hands-on, community-scale model for clean energy production using duckweed — a fast-growing plant with applications in biofuel, water remediation, and carbon reduction. By turning this pilot into a learning hub, we aim to empower local youth with skills and pathways into LA’s growing green economy.

“Small Plant, Big Impact” is a one-year pilot program that combines clean energy innovation with real-world youth learning. We will build and operate a small-scale solar drying system and pelletizing unit to process duckweed — a highly sustainable plant — into solid biofuel. The system will be set up at a site in San Pedro, serving as a demonstration model and learning space for local youth. A part-time technician will be hired to operate the system and support youth engagement.
Youth will participate in educational visits, help monitor the system, and learn about water remediation, renewable energy, biomass processing, and green entrepreneurship. These sessions will offer entry-level exposure to clean tech skills and environmental science, particularly valuable for communities traditionally underrepresented in the green economy. Our goal is to turn this pilot into a replicable, scalable program that sparks environmental awareness and opens doors to education, innovation, and future green careers in LA.

If successful, this project will plant the seeds of environmental leadership in LA’s most underserved communities. Students will walk away with a greater sense of agency, scientific curiosity, and connection to green solutions that directly affect their neighborhoods. Teachers and local partners will gain new tools to deliver hands-on, sustainability-themed learning that is both accessible and inspiring.
Over the longer term, we envision this pilot growing into a scalable model that reaches thousands of students across LA. We plan to refine the kits and curriculum based on feedback, deepen our partnerships with local schools and youth programs, and seek new funding to expand across districts. This initiative has the potential to grow from a small pilot into a flagship youth sustainability program—creating a pipeline of young leaders ready to drive environmental innovation in LA and beyond.