Empowering Tomorrow 2025: Hundreds of New Brunswick High School Students and Teachers Come Together for a Day of Green Energy Career Exploration

On April 28th, 2025, at The Wu Conference Centre in Fredericton, high school students and teachers from across New Brunswick attended Empowering Tomorrow, New Brunswick’s premier green energy conference for teens. For the second consecutive year, Empowering Tomorrow brought young people and educators together for a day of green energy career exploration, including hands-on workshops, networking opportunities, and youth-led green career planning.

Empowering Tomorrow connects participants with professionals from dozens of organizations operating within New Brunswick, pursuing green energy projects and spearheading sustainability initiatives. This unique access to green professionals provides students with an opportunity to explore projects, career pathways, and potential future employers rooted in New Brunswick, operating across Canada, and shaping the future of green energy.

“[Empowering Tomorrow is] an opportunity for students who are interested in renewable and green energy to meet people in the industry, and also other youth that are interested in it. And teachers form connections as well, which is always an added bonus!”

-Madeline Lawrence, Grade 9 Teacher, Harbour View High School

In total, Empowering Tomorrow 2025 facilitated: 
– 156 high school students and 14 teachers from 8 NB schools engaging in STEM education 
– 25 organizations offering professional networking opportunity and green career guidance 
– 9 interactive, green energy career workshops/sessions  
– 850 total hours spent exploring green energy careers  

But why is this so important? The professional landscape is changing, and energy organizations are increasingly integrating sustainability measures into their projects and policies. The energy sector includes diverse career opportunities, which require vast, specialized skills that young people need to develop as they start their professional journeys. This unparalleled conference is designed to help students reduce their carbon footprint while showcasing green career opportunities that exist within New Brunswick’s energy sector, from engineering, to project management, and more.  

Students participate in a hands-on renewable energy workshop hosted by Cove.  

 

Students watch a presentation by Brilliant Labs, focused exploring key aspects of The Blue Economy.

 

Through using a VR headset, students explored the world of solar energy and sustainable design, led by the New Brunswick Community College.  

“I never really considered working in clean energy, like researching solar and wind and other forms of renewable energy. I didn’t really realize that that was an option.” 

-Sarah Daigle, Grade 11 Student, St. Malachy’s Memorial High School 

“Before I wasn’t as aware that there were so many facilities and groups of people that were so dedicated to solving climate crisis’, specifically in New Brunswick…now I feel a lot less alone, and now I feel like there’s a lot of resources around for us to take advantage of and build on. I think that’s something that I want to look into in the future, to collaborate with other environmental facilities.” 

– Jerry Zhao, Grade 10 Student, Rothsay Netherwood School 

Partners in education: Presented by NB Power and hosted by The Gaia Project and the Centre of Excellence for Energy, Empowering Tomorrow is rooted in a robust understanding of New Brunswick’s growing green energy sector, youth engagement, and action-based climate education. As leaders in these key areas, NB Power, The Gaia Project, and The Centre of Excellence for Energy bring together expertise to create profound energy efficiency and green career learning opportunities. With a vision to empower New Brunswick youth to take the lead on green energy development and implementation, Empowering Tomorrow is building a sustainable climate future in New Brunswick. 

Pictured left to right: Geoff MacDonald, Executive Director, The Gaia Project, and Peter Kelly, Strategic Partnerships Lead, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 

 

Members of The Gaia Project team at Empowering Tomorrow 2025.  

Author: Katelyn Plant, Marketing & Communications Manager, The Gaia Project 

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