The Illinois Shines Program Year 2025-26 Mentorship Program Fall Cohort concluded Thursday, November 20, 2025, with an in-person graduation and celebration event for mentees. The event capped an eight-week Mentorship Program from September to November, during which mentees completed virtual training courses and participated in live, interactive sessions with experienced AV mentors and the Program Administrator’s subject matter experts. The Mentorship Program accepts applications from AVs and Designees who are EECs or minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, disability-owned entities or who are considered a small business, and from experienced AVs willing to serve as mentors.
The Mentorship Program was created as part of the Equity Accountability System (“EAS”) to help historically underserved communities participate in, and benefit from, the growing clean energy economy in Illinois jumpstarted by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (“CEJA”). The Mentorship Program has grown significantly since its pilot in Program Year 2023-24. The program was expanded this Program Year to include Fall and Winter cohorts to serve more mentees.
The 2025-26 Fall Mentorship Cohort comprised:
- 48 participants, including 20 mentees (17 of whom graduated), 12 mentors, and 16 subject matter experts.
- 31 virtual online courses (covering five hours of content and 70 knowledge checks) to assist mentees in navigating Program requirements, such as Annual Reporting, REC performance evaluation, prevailing wage requirements, Community Solar subscriber verification, consumer protection requirements, and more.
- Eight live virtual sessions (spanning eight hours) that included panel discussions and breakout rooms, allowing mentees to hear from experienced AVs and ask specific questions relating to project development, partnership strategies, risk management, financing, interconnection, sales and marketing, and more.
Many of the mentees and mentors joined Illinois Power Agency staff at the event.
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The graduation ceremony brought together mentees, mentors from the program, and Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Shines staff, many of whom traveled from other states to network with mentees and other subject matter experts. Illinois Power Agency Director Brian Granahan delivered remarks, celebrating the mentee’s milestone, thanking mentors, underscoring the essential role of the Mentorship Program and the EAS in fulfilling CEJA’s directives, and highlighting the Agency’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to the growth of clean energy development in Illinois. HIRE360 hosted the celebration where executive director Jay Rowell welcomed guests and shared information about the nonprofit’s workforce development efforts. Following the graduation, open networking allowed attendees to continue building relationships to support their continued growth in the solar sector with industry peers, and IPA and Program Administrator team members. Representatives from the IPA’s Illinois Solar for All program also attended and met with guests.
Mentee applications for AVs and Designees interested in participating in the 2026 Winter Mentorship Cohort open on December 1, 2025. Information and resources can be found on the Mentorship Program page on the Program’s website. For further information, contact the EEC Sector Strategist, Conner Rettig, at [email protected].
Illinois Shines congratulates the graduating mentees and thanks all mentees and mentors for their dedication and engagement to the Illinois Shines 2025-26 Fall Mentorship Cohort. A final report covering both cohorts will be issued May 2026.
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]