Houston Energy & Climate Week Proceeds Fund First Community Grant Round

Grants are awarded to nine organizations focused on energy and climate literacy, civil dialogue, and united action.

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, September 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Allies in Energy (AIE) believes the future of energy and climate is not built only in boardrooms, labs, or conference halls. It is built in classrooms, neighborhoods, public conversations, and career pathways — by organizations helping more people understand what is changing, what is possible, and how to participate. That is why we are proud to announce nine grant recipients whose work reflects the heart of our mission: building energy and climate literacy through civil dialogue and united action.

These organizations help students, educators, families, and communities engage with energy and climate in practical, local, and lasting ways. From hands-on STEM learning and teacher training to public dialogue, workforce development, and early energy literacy, each recipient is expanding who gets to take part in the future of energy.

2026 Grant Recipients

Energy & Climate Education

Project17 Foundation Inc. — Project17 & Houston Energy & Climate Week: Music for Energy Dialogue Project17 uses music, storytelling, performances, pop-up activations, and public engagement to bring energy and climate conversations into spaces where broader audiences already gather. Rather than treating these conversations as conference-only experiences, Project17 creates accessible entry points through culture and community. The grant will support public-facing programming during Houston Energy & Climate Week, helping reach residents who may not typically participate in traditional energy and climate events.

Black Girls Do Engineer Corporation — BGDE STEM Career Pathways Program Black Girls Do Engineer is equipping Houston-area middle and high school students — especially Black girls and other youth historically underrepresented in STEM — with hands-on training in engineering, coding, robotics, AI, data, and emerging technologies. The program connects technical skill-building to real-world career pathways in Houston's energy and technology industries, helping students see themselves in the future workforce.

Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation — Civic Science: Inquiry to Action CELF's Civic Science program supports place-based, project-driven sustainability learning for PreK–12 students and educators in under-resourced school communities. Through its Inquiry-to-Action framework, students identify, analyze, and address real-world environmental issues affecting their school communities, while teachers build capacity to integrate climate and energy literacy into classrooms across Greater Houston.

The Loop Institute — Energy & Climate Literacy HTX The Loop Institute brings high-quality STEM education directly into Title I schools that may not otherwise have access to STEM resources or curriculum. Its work centers on making energy transition topics — including biotechnology, geology, soil science, and entrepreneurship — accessible and relevant for students across Houston, with support from clean tech and academic partners.

ODIS3A, Inc. — Go UPSTREAM ODIS3A is reimagining early learning through a play-based academy that helps children ages 5–13 build foundational habits and life skills. Through Go UPSTREAM, the organization is introducing energy and climate concepts into its broader resource-management curriculum, helping young learners understand where energy comes from, how it is used, and why managing it responsibly matters.

Community Dialogue & Engagement

KP Labs / Konscious Planet Technologies — Waste-to-Wealth KP Labs is helping students understand the materials economy behind the energy transition. Using its modular metal-recovery pilot as a real-world case study, the Waste-to-Wealth program introduces Houston-area students to how critical minerals like copper, nickel, cobalt, and lithium can be recovered from waste streams — connecting classroom learning to Houston's industrial identity and the future of circular solutions.

Civil Dialogues creates safe, nonpartisan spaces for public conversation on complex issues. Its energy and climate town halls pair historical context with panel discussions, audience Q&A, and facilitated roundtable conversations, helping communities engage respectfully and constructively across differences. The grant will support a future energy/climate town hall in the Greater Houston area.

Workforce & Career Pathways

The Energy Project — Future Ready Academy: AI for Energy & Sustainability prepares Houston high school students for emerging careers at the intersection of energy, technology, and sustainability. Through hands-on learning with AI, data, and real-world sustainability challenges, students explore how technology can reduce environmental impact and build practical skills for Houston's evolving workforce. The program culminates in a student showcase connecting classroom learning to industry professionals.

East Harris County Empowerment Council — Career Launch helps East Harris County high school students transition into college, technical education, apprenticeships, military service, internships, and meaningful careers. With this grant, EHCEC will add a targeted energy and climate literacy component, connecting students in communities along the Port Houston corridor to the industries, training pathways, and career opportunities around them.

From a Week of Convening to Year-Round Impact
AIE received applications from organizations spanning K–12 STEM education, workforce development, urban agriculture, and neighborhood resilience — a range that reflects how broadly energy questions now touch Houston life. Applicants proposed programs reaching Houston ISD, Alief ISD, Channelview ISD, and Galena Park ISD students, Title 1 classrooms, opportunity youth, and residents in Third Ward, East Downtown, Baytown, Kingwood, Cypress, the Energy Corridor, and Greater Uptown.

"Energy education is not one kind of work. It is many kinds of work happening at once. To see programs in this grant round meeting children and our community not only in the classroom and boardroom but also through hands-on experience — that is exactly what we are built to support in our mission to prepare the next generation of energy leaders," said Lindsay Roe, President of Allies in Energy.

NRG Energy

NRG’s community impact program, Brighter Communities, provided a founding gift to expand Houston Energy & Climate Week and fund grants for local organizations. This investment helps bring energy education, skills development, and career pathways directly into our communities.

“The next generation of energy leaders is already here in Houston. Our job is to help open the door,” said Melissa Hensley, Senior Director, Community Investment at NRG. “We’re proud to support this work and the opportunities it will create across Houston.”

Looking Ahead

AIE will recognize each grantee at Houston Energy & Climate Week Opening Night, a VIP and awards ceremony at ARTECHOUSE on Sunday, Sept. 13. Organizations interested in being notified about the next application cycle can sign up at http://alliesinenergy.org/grants.

Kelli Fereday
Allies in Energy
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