Congregation’s Exciting ‘Firefly’ Initiative to Educate Teen Girls in Electrical Fundamentals
After Valeria Lucas graduated from high school in 2013, Valeria considered following her father’s path and took some courses in electrical at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Los Angeles, California. There were only two other women in the class. The rest of the students were men.
Lucas, despite feeling sometimes intimidated, “became more comfortable being in an environment where men dominate.”
Alberto Lucas continues to work as an electrician and has been teaching electrical work at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Hollywood, Los Angeles for several years. Thanks to a $20,000 donation from Girls’ Friendly Society California (part of the Anglican Communion), an organization affiliated with Episcopal, he can finally do it. The grant program of the organization supports local churches and other organizations in providing personal development programs for young girls.
St. Stephen’s will use the grant to finance its newly launched Firefly Program, which will teach girls ages between 14 and 17 the basics of electrical work through a hands-on approach one Saturday a week for the next two year. Enrollment is still available for the program, which began on October 14. Alberto Lucas is the lead instructor of the program. He has been a parishioner at St. Stephen’s for over 20 years. Valeria Lucas is a teacher in the Delaney Wright Fine Arts preschool at St. Stephen’s and is also the co-coordinator of the program. Her father speaks Spanish.
Valeria Lucas, Episcopal News Service, said that part of the goal was to teach the girls how to use the tools and drill things, as well as how to feel more comfortable. Eventually, they would move up to a class where the males dominate the space, because at least, this is where we started.
Every month, the Firefly program will cover different topics, such as electricity fundamentals and different wiring methods. It will also address emergency power equipment, lighting, safety, and other issues.
The Rev. Jaime Edwards Acton, rector at St. Stephen’s told ENS that the Firefly program aims to teach girls the basics of electricity while they’re still teenagers. This will help them to be confident and knowledgeable enough to enroll in a full-time course and become electrician apprentices when they’re 18 years old, the youngest age for California apprenticeships. If they decide not to pursue electrical work as a career, their skills will be useful in other fields such as electrical engineering. The Firefly program is a great way to get a head start on college or job applications, even if you decide not to pursue a career in electrical work.
Edwards-Acton explained that they were trying to reach these girls when they are young, so they can have solid options after high school. “I believe the average salary for electricians is really attractive for many of these young girls.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022 the average annual salary for electricians will be $78,140. California has the most electricians employed in the United States. Los Angeles-Long Beach, Anaheim ranks second in the United States in terms of employment for electricians, only behind New York-Newark/New Jersey.
Edwards-Acton mentioned that the demand for electricians in California is increasing, particularly in the Hollywood region. Edwards-Acton cited an increase in solar panels installations and the need to perform electrical work in Los Angeles as it prepares for and hosts the Summer Olympics in 2028. IBEW Local 11 is the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union. It currently advises the Olympic Committee on sustainability.
Valeria Lucas explained that “we are trying to create a pipeline” so that girls can benefit from the program, and then continue their education elsewhere if they wish to.
The Girls’ Friendly Society California has granted money to the Firefly Program to include field trips in the area to learn about electrical work. These will be conducted at the IBEW training center located in a local chamber of commerce. Participants will occasionally hear guest speakers speak about the electrical industry.
Firefly is now accepting applications. Scholarships are available for the $50 cost of participation over two years. St. Stephen’s provides safety equipment. It is not necessary to be a member of St. Stephen’s in order to participate.
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