Colleagues,
Pleased to share this grant award to Greater Lawrence Technical School to Build a Clean Energy House.
Congratulations to our colleagues at Greater Lawrence.
David
Greater Lawrence Technical School Students to Build Clean Energy House with State Grant
By WHAV News Staff | November 30, 2025
Greater Lawrence Technical School hosted a ceremony during which the Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded $27 million in grants to support workforce development in clean energy and climatetech. (Courtesy photograph.)
Greater Lawrence Technical School is celebrating a $475,000 state grant to train students in clean energy in home construction.
The grant will expand teaching of Introduction to Solar Installation and Basic Electrical training to adults participating in Technical Training Programs over the next two years. The school was one of nine organizations to receive an Equity Training Implementation Grant, focusing on returning citizens, single parents and English language learners.
As part of the grant-funded programming, Greater Lawrence students are building a high-performance house with the most-advanced technology available—the first such home built by Massachusetts high school students.
“This project gives our students invaluable hands-on experience in the very methods and materials that will define tomorrow’s construction standards,” Superintendent John Lavoie said. “Together, these initiatives demonstrate how career technical education can align perfectly with the Commonwealth’s clean energy goals, preparing a skilled workforce to lead the transition to a sustainable economy.”
Carpentry instructor John Chester added, “What has been really great is watching students shift from ‘Why do we need to know this?’ to ‘This actually makes us better builders.’ You can see the lightbulb moment when the realize they are learning techniques most professionals don’t touch until years in their field.”
<![if !vml]>
<![endif]>Carpentry instructor John Chester added, “What has been really great is watching students shift from ‘Why do we need to know this?’ to ‘This actually makes us better builders.’ You can see the lightbulb moment when the realize they are learning techniques most professionals don’t touch until years in their field.”
The school, serving Lawrence, Methuen, Andover and North Andover, hosted the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and Rebecca Tepper, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, last week. During the ceremony, the state awarded $27 million in grants, designed to grow the state’s clean energy and climatetech workforce.
Chapter 74 Vocational Technical & Agricultural Education
LEARNING THAT WORKS FOR MASSACHUSETTS
David J. Ferreira
MAVA Communications Coordinator
DavidFerreira