A year ago, Eugene Kalinovsky could not tell you the difference between a ballast, a tombstone, or a baffle. Now, he is looking forward to a career in the energy industry. Eugene is one of several dozen members of the California Conservation Corps (CCC) making a difference in their community, improving the environment, and developing marketable job skills.
“When I first joined the CCC, I went to people who were here the longest and learned from them,” Eugene said. “I took all the knowledge I could get from them, from our trainings and supervisors, and I think I’m pretty good at doing these lights.”
Eugene works at the CCC Sacramento Energy Center where he and his fellow Corps members replaced thousands of lights this year as part of a retrofitting project with the Sacramento City Unified School District. To date, the crews have completed work at nine schools.
“We’ve mainly done middle schools and elementary schools, always in disadvantaged communities,” he said. “We know that we’re impacting the community and saving schools a lot of money, and reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.”
Four days a week, Corps members line up outside the office of Sacramento’s River District, ready to go to work in or near the same communities where they live. By the end of their shifts, dozens of lights have been converted from energy‑demanding fluorescent tubes to efficient lightbulbs.
“My favorite part is definitely when we’re done with the classrooms and they’re extremely brighter than what they were when we came in,” said Corpsmember Akayla Jones. “It really feels great just making a difference. This isn’t just doing something for the community, it’s going to be for the whole world.”
Most of the Energy Corps’ projects take place in disadvantaged communities at schools, courthouses, and government and non-profit buildings. The Energy Corps is not just a chance for corpsmembers to make a difference in their community, but to improve their own futures.
“I needed my high school diploma,” Eugene said.“I did it in about four months. That’s the main reason why I joined, plus I wanted to get into energy work.I recently did solar training with the CCC and I’m probably going to get into that, or an apprenticeship for electrical work.”