Tribal Energy Alternatives Demonstrated Commitment to Tribal College & Universities Learning
Tribal Energy Alternatives (T.E.A.) is deeply committed to working with Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCU’s). T.E.A. ‘s Workforce Development work to create opportunities for tribes to engage in energy sovereignty, naturally led to partnerships with TCU’s (Tribal Colleges and Universities). TCU’s are educational institutions that have been founded by tribal governments as an act of self-determination to promote tribal sovereignty. They are higher education institutions that promote the preservation of Indigenous thought, culture and learning through its culturally relevant pedagogies. TCU’s have become hubs that foster innovation and research for tribes. T.E.A. has built many fruitful partnerships with tribal colleges in building pathways and supporting future tribal energy leaders.
Since 2018 T.E.A. has invested nearly 1 million in paid learning opportunities to interns, trainees and faculty, in partnership with TCU’s. TCU’s are dedicated to preserving Indigenous cultures, perspectives and tribal sovereignty, simultaneously promoting job training, leadership growth and culturally relevant education. This is in direct alignment with the TSAF aims of collaboration with tribes and tribal leaders to address challenges and opportunities related to energy sovereignty, climate resilience, and resource sustainability.
T.E.A. ‘s Workforce Development team has supported individuals attending TCUs seeking degrees related to careers in the renewable energy field.In 2025 T.E.A. has awarded several individuals, from nine different TCU’s in their Tribal Energy Scholarship program and the Tribal Solar Research Internship Individuals received mentoring and professional development opportunities through paid scholarships..
Tribal Energy Alternatives’ Education and Workforce Development Program strives to create training and educational opportunities to enhance nation building through a holistic approach. T.E.A. builds capacity for tribes to plan, manage and own their own solar projects through its various educational workforce development initiatives. The TEA Workforce Development Program aims to create educational pathways in many focus areas to build a workforce that can truly enhance a tribe’s ability to harness all of the economic benefits of renewable energy. A couple ways T.E.A. demonstrates its ongoing commitment to TCU’s through its hosting of the Midwest TCU Convening at the College of Menominee Nation as well as a three week IBT 120 training it hosted with Blackfeet Community College in Montana.
Partnership in Programming
The Workforce Development team has also partnered with two Tribal Colleges the past year to host training programs geared towards building capacity for renewable energy in Indian country. TEA hosted the Midwestern Tribal College Energy Education Convening at the College of Menominee in July at the College of Menominee in Wisconsin. The convening consisted of a balanced blend of hands-on, experiential activities, field trips and workshops. Participants learned how solar energy directly and positively impacts other aspects of community health, such as food security, energy sovereignty, elder welfare, education, youth leadership, workforce development and climate resiliency.
The convening explored a comparison of various forms of renewable energy, key aspects of successful solar energy planning, and fundamentals of energy science.
Empowering the next generation of energy leaders! Last summer, T.E.A. partnered with Blackfeet Community College to deliver our Installation Basics Training program in conjunction with our Energy Auditing course. From solar PV fundamentals to hands-on labs with industry-leading equipment, every student graduated with OSHA 10 + CPR/AED/First Aid certifications. TEA Workforce Development technical trainers facilitated an immersive combination of lectures and hands-on labs covering topics in solar PV fundamentals. The standout activities included the experiential labs such as conduit bending, electrical enclosure wiring, and the installation of a full roof-mounted solar PV system complete with modern, industry leading equipment such as Enphase microinverters and IronRidge racking. All of the 12 students graduated from the summer program with portable certifications in OSHA 10 and CPR/AED/First Aid.
Equipped with the knowledge and skills from the IBT program, we look forward to the ways in which each graduate will incorporate them into their communities. From a local electrician being able to expand their service offerings to include solar PV installations to Blackfeet Community College’s new instructor being able to incorporate some of the programmatic elements into their course offerings, each graduate is poised to be a catalyst for change.
What the Future Holds:
The innovation between Tribal Colleges and the Workforce Development program has already proved to be fruitful. The future possibilities are exciting! TEA plans to continue to support efforts to build human capacity for renewable energy within TCU’s. This support will include investing in individuals through continued training/programming and paid professional development opportunities.
Photos with captions-
A tour to an elder’s home, on the Menominee Indian reservation in Wisconsin, during the Midwest TCU convening in July, where participants learned about the significant impact that solar has in providing energy resiliency and economic savings.
A solar pump demonstration at Midwest TCU convening hosted by TEA at the College of Menominee
A high-tunnel food sovereignty project housed within the College of Menominee
Students gained certifications in OSHA 10 and CPR/AED/First Aid, while diving into solar PV fundamentals, electrical theory, and construction best practices.
Hands-on labs included conduit bending, solar PV system installation, and electrical enclosure wiring
