CARB signs Memorandums of Understanding with seven key Riverside educational partners in conjunction with opening its new SoCal headquarters
RIVERSIDE – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with seven key educational partners in the Riverside area to promote learning and awareness of California’s clean air efforts and develop a range of educational and learning opportunities for students at its new CARB Southern California Headquarters – Mary D. Nichols Campus.
CARB re-signed updated MOUs with the University of California, Riverside (UCR), Riverside Community College District and the Riverside Unified School District. New MOUs were formalized with the Alvord Unified School District, Cal Baptist University, La Sierra University and the Riverside County Office of Education.
“CARB is excited to be a vital part of the Riverside community. We look forward to using our state-of-the-art facility and its world-class laboratories to facilitate awareness of air quality challenges and further scientific research with the local educational institutions,” said Annette Hebert, Deputy Executive Officer of CARB’s Southern California Headquarters. “It’s an opportunity to strengthen our ties with schools and students from the region and help build support for the science that underpins our solutions to the air pollution challenges we face in the Riverside area, and the rest of the state.
The Southern California Headquarters Laboratory offers some of the most advanced emissions testing capabilities for passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses, lawn and garden equipment, small off-road engines and marine engines. The new lab’s expanded capabilities will also support the transition to zero or near-zero emissions technology in all areas recognized as mobile sources through rigorous screening and regulatory testing. The mutually beneficial partnerships will utilize the facility to offer classes, facility tours and educational opportunities for faculty and students to inspire students at all levels to learn more about air quality, the impacts of climate change and CARB’s efforts to clean the air.
The MOUs also facilitate collaboration for joint air quality and climate change research, promotion of science career pathways, employment opportunities, and training programs for local residents to become scientists and technicians in the environmental arena, all with an emphasis on reaching disadvantaged and underrepresented populations.
Other opportunities include partnerships to develop training programs and delivery of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses and other STEM-based career and technical education training programs, as well as development of continuing education and certificates.
The MOUs expire in 2027 and may be renewed at that time.