NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The Krewe of Red Beans (KRB) and Morris Jeff Community School (MJCS) have announced the success of Team Bean, a collaborative youth climate project that has earned national recognition. The initiative culminated in Morris Jeff students winning 3rd place and a $150,000 prize at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Community Energy Innovation Prize in Chicago.
“Team Bean exemplifies how students can identify real-world problems and drive meaningful change through innovative solutions,” said Ms. Kristen Bowens, Team Bean advisor at Morris Jeff, in the announcement about the project. “By leveraging creativity, teamwork, and knowledge from inside and outside the classroom, they embody the essence of effective change-making.”
The Youth Climate Project was designed to expand student awareness of climate and clean energy careers and empower them to create youth-led resilience plans. Throughout the fall, Morris Jeff students worked to develop a resilience project for their high school campus after school. After careful planning and a $30,000 budget allocation, the students installed a solar-powered charging station.
The initiative included a series of hands-on learning experiences in collaboration with local nonprofits. Students learned about glass recycling with Glass Half Full, reforestation with SOUL, microgrids with Feed the Second Line, and urban flooding solutions with the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. These immersive experiences shaped their understanding of climate resilience and informed their project design.
“These students have proven that young leaders can make a tangible impact on their communities,” said Devin DeWulf, founder of the Krewe of Red Beans. “This award enables us to build on their success and launch a summer camp that will inspire even more young people to take action on climate issues.”
In Chicago, the students presented their work to teams across the United States at the Community Energy Innovation Prize event. Their efforts earned them third place and $150,000, which will be used to fund the Krewe of Red Beans Climate-Summer Camp in 2025 and other expenses. This program will employ teens to mentor younger children and focus on climate education, resilience solutions, and career pathways.
“Winning this award has shown us that we can tackle big problems and make a real difference,” said Ramona Reznik, a member of Team Bean. “This experience has been life-changing, and I’m excited to see what we can achieve next.“
The Community Energy Innovation Prize supports projects that promote clean energy innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development in underserved communities, aligning with the Justice40 Initiative. This partnership has earned national recognition for the Krewe of Red Beans and Morris Jeff Community School and laid the groundwork for a brighter, more sustainable future for New Orleans.
