Due to the rapid rate of technological advancement, Lithium has become an invaluable resource at the center of a new and developing industry in the Imperial and Coachella counties. Lithium Valley is set to completely change the economic landscape of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys with a projected 18 million metric tons of lithium located in the Salton Sea. Imperial Valley College (IVC) students have become key stakeholders as IVC is the first higher education institution to offer a lithium industry workforce training program in the Imperial Valley. Given that the first cohort of Lithium Valley’s workforce will potentially be comprised of IVC alumni, both industry and government officials could benefit from listening to and incorporating IVC students' priorities and concerns regarding the development of Lithium Valley.

This short brief incorporates US Census data from the Latino Data Hub, sentiments from Imperial County residents at community meetings, Comite Civico del Valle (CCV) and Earthworks Environmental Justice in California’s Lithium Valley report published in November 2023, and preliminary findings from the Thriving Youth Study, a youth participatory action research project by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center.

VIew the report on the Latino Data Hub: https://latinodatahub.org/?mc_cid=7152b40297&mc_eid=18db143d9f#/action-l...

Published by the Latino Data Hub, Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition, and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center