Soul Power Program: The More Perfect Community

In Black History Month, we reflect on the triumphs of Black people, including the impact of programs like the Soul Power Program, and our current situation. Black Americans’ labor has helped power the growth of this country. Enslaved people enriched the Antebellum South by picking cotton and tobacco. Today’s jobs are different, and Black Americans continue to make significant contributions to our workforce and society.

Some Black Americans, such as Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Jordan, possess great wealth. But most Black people are in the working class, next to the poor. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that Black workers account for about 13% of all U.S. workers—full-time, part-time, and self-employed. Their jobs tend to be in postal service, healthcare, transit, and security.

But we see few Black people in the sciences and technical fields. Racial disparities persist in the trades, too. Thus, despite broad historical gains in Black employment and education, our country still falls short.

The Soul Power Program: Creating Opportunities

To help with these deficits, the Soul Power Program improves employment prospects for Black Americans. We empower students for emerging employment opportunities.

We take a complementary approach to making the greater Michigan City region strong.

Soul Power Program Training and Certifications

Soul Power awards stackable certifications as each student completes our 3-Tiered Training:

Tier I – Entry-Level Trade Work

• The OSHA-10 Certification yields entry work in the trades.

Tier II – Solar Industry Entry

• The North American Board of Certified Energy Professionals Photovoltaic Associate Certification (NABCEP PV Associate) yields entry work at a solar company.

Tier III – Advanced Solar Industry & Electrical Code

• The NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification and NEC (National Electrical Code) Certification lead to work for a solar company, entrepreneurship, and placement of graduates with the IBEW-531 journeyman electrician apprenticeships.

Impact of the Soul Power Program

We established the Soul Power Program to create economic resiliency while bettering our local environment across Northwest Indiana.

Soul Power is a thriving solar jobs training program that connects in-need populations, including formerly incarcerated individuals, pollution-impacted residents, and those living in poverty, to gainful employment opportunities in the solar energy sector. Thanks to the program’s success since 2022, after hundreds of hours of vital education and on-the-job training, students have graduated with fifty-five certificates, which they have used to enrich their lives and launch the next chapter of their careers with solar companies as solar helpers and installers.

Support the Soul Power Program

So, as we celebrate Black workers’ historic contributions to America, from the first enslaved Africans, let us stand together to create a healthier, more just, and more resilient community.

This year, during Black History Month 2025 and beyond, please donate $20.25, $50.25, $75.25, $100.25, or any amount to help sustain the Soul Power Program’s efforts.

Your donation is appreciated!

Sincerely,
Donnita Scully
Program Director, Soul Power Program