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News
Kirkwood
Among
Colleges Offering "Green Classes"
Posted 22 February
2010
Whether you're heading to college for the first time or heading back to
college for additional training, consider your local community college.
Community colleges generally offer smaller class sizes and
less-expensive tuition than universities or private colleges. And if
you're in the market to train for a green job or to make your home more
sustainable, you'll find a lot of options at many community colleges
across the nation.
Teaching renewable energy at community colleges is nothing new,
according to Carolyn Teich, senior program associate from the American
Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Such courses have actually
been in community college curricula for about 30 years.
But there is also a wave of new courses designed for people who want to
live more sustainably. For example, Kirkwood Community College — which
primarily offers classes on its Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
campuses — launched a Go Green initiative this past fall in its
Continuing Education department.
A team looks at trends in the market to develop new programs for the
school, says Kim Johnson, the associate vice president of continuing
education programming. Part of her job is to work with that team.
Programs are planned a year in advance, she says. About a year ago, the
Kirkwood team discussed the increased emphasis on “green” — especially
green jobs — because of the Obama administration's support of renewable
energy technology in the Stimulus package. She also felt the community
had an increased interest in sustainability and saving money.
“The first wave of programs are from the consumer standpoint,” explains
Johnson. Some of the classes offered in the winter term include
“Greening Your Sofa or Chair,” “Heating Your Home With A Wood-Burning
Boiler,” and “Exploring Green IT.”
Johnson says the Spring and Summer catalog will be released February
18. A new class offering, called “Green Federal Tax Tips,” will teach
consumers how to qualify for tax credits and rebates for
energy-efficient appliances, weatherizing, and so on.
This summer, Kirkwood Interactive Camps for Kids (KICK) will give kids
an opportunity to explore different careers, including green jobs.
There are also four energy camps called “Energy Busters,” “Catch the
Wind,” “Rock the Green,” and “Fires and Wires.” In these classes,
youngsters will have an opportunity to experience a variety of
professions through entertaining activities.
“We’re certainly hoping [our green programming] will take off,” Johnson
says. She points out that “Greening your Sofa or Chair” and “Remodeling
the Green Way” have been popular classes since they were first offered
this past fall.
Kirkwood tries to offer classes that have broad appeal to the
community, according to Johnson. They’re now planning new classes about
"green" occupational skills.
Most will be short classes, running from a single, four-hour class to
classes that typically meet once a week for four weeks. Classes at
Kirkwood range in price from $29 to $145. (“Greening Your Sofa or
Chair” costs $145 to cover the cost of materials.) Continuing Education
classes are normally offered after work hours or on Saturday.
The AACC's Teich has broad knowledge of the country’s 1,100 community
colleges, from the College of the Menominee Nation in Wisconsin to
Maricopa Community Colleges in the Phoenix area. She points out that
community colleges fill the need for additional job training.
“People who are electricians need an upgrade to work in
sustainability,” says Teich. "Construction needs people that can build
green buildings. Wind farms need turbine operators. And high-speed
trains will need technicians.”
Teich notes, “It’s getting hard to pinpoint what [defines] a green
job.” She believes that teaching sustainability in community colleges
will expand.
“I think it will be a natural part of the college experience that we
won’t notice anymore,” says Teich. “It won’t be one course; it will be
a part of all courses.”
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