Supporting community colleges in educating for and building a green economy
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Resource Center

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Educational resources from SEED Center partners and corporate sponsors
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Resource Center

Instructions

The Resource Center is a curated collection of information organized around 7 green economy “Sectors” and 7 “Topics.” In time, more Sectors will be added. Topics represent those areas in which educators and workforce development professionals continue to seek direction.

You can search by sector or by topic. Or across all sectors and/or all topics.

You can also perform a keyword search of all resources on the top right of this page.

Overview

Solar

The solar industry is expected to show steady growth over the coming decade largely due to rising energy prices, advances in technology through public/private partnerships and investments, and continued enactment of federal and state policies and financial incentives. more >>

Wind

Wind power is considered a leading source of new electricity generation in the United States, with the potential of providing 20% of the nation’s energy needs by 2030. more >>

Green Building

The green building market has expanded five fold over the last three years to a $48 billion national market—and is projected to triple in the next five years. more >>

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is considered the foundation of a vibrant and sustainable green economy, and one of the most cost effective ways to lower energy consumption, reduce operating costs, and mitigate carbon emissions. more >>

Sustainability Education

Sustainability education refers generally to learning experiences that enable students to develop the knowledge, behaviors and skills to help create healthier ecosystems, social systems, and economies. For the purposes of the SEED Center, this includes resources to help build non-credit continuing education for the incumbent workforce and integrating sustainability curriculum into existing credit programs. more >>

Sustainable Ag., Food & Land

The Sustainable Ag., Food & Land sector covers the areas of organic farming, horticulture, culinary art, and landscaping. This sector includes organizations and resources that integrate environmental, social and economic factors into land use, food preparation, and land specific practices in an attempt to create a more sustainable future. more >>

General Clean Tech

The General Clean Tech sector is a space for resources that encompass multiple ‘green’ sectors. Many are applicable to the broader clean economy and sustainability-related technology and will serve the general clean tech community. Resources also provide valuable information on sectors that are experiencing substantive development in the sustainability realm, like manufacturing and smart grid. more >>

Transportation and Fuels

The Transportation & Fuels sector covers the area of electric and hybrid vehicle development and maintenance, other forms of alternative and sustainable transportation, natural gas, fuel cells, battery storage, and renewable fuels sources including ethanol, biodiesel, algae, and methane. more >>

Certifications and Industry Credentials

Certainly, one of the biggest challenges facing green educators is the rapid and mostly uncoordinated emergence of green certifications and credentials. more >>
 

Curricular Materials

These resources and materials have been vetted by industry and education experts, and while not in the form of specific educator tools, will assist in creating quality curricula for your classroom. more >>

You will find more specific educator tools (e.g. syllabi, lab manuals, lesson plans, special classroom projects, equipment lists, etc.) submitted by SEED member colleges in our Curricular Materials Sharing Portal.

Employment Industry Projections

While job training providers have been quite active in past years working with local industry to define the emerging green jobs market and potential job growth areas, most still struggle to forecast accurately regional occupational demand. The U.S. Department of Labor has made recent strides toward classifying green occupations and competencies which will help communities define and track green jobs (and colleges to design appropriate education and training programs). Given the uncertain renewable energy and efficiency industry outlook, and rapidly changing technologies, access to the most up-to-date industry studies and employment projections will be critical. more >>

Innovative Practices & Partnerships

The job creation potential of the green economy has led to some unique job training and economic development partnerships and collaborations. more >>

Professional Development Resources

This section includes promising facilitated learning opportunities, including “train the trainer” programs, standing conferences, and informal learning opportunities situated in practice for faculty and staff seeking to further their knowledge of industry trends and requirements. more >>

Policy & Funding Sources

Included you will find links and descriptions of agencies and organizations that typically fund sustainability and green job training initiatives as well as those that provide important information on national legislation and policies relevant to the clean energy sector. CHECK BACK AS MORE ARE ADDED. This section also highlights resources that provide guidance on how to supply input into program and grant design for certain agency solicitations. more >>

Skill sets, Competencies & Career Pathways

This section includes lists and assessments of skill sets and competencies tied to the green economy – across the broad industry as well as within specific sectors. It also includes some critical resources that colleges can use to align programs and facilitate student transitions. Included are green energy competency models and newly-developed career pathways that allow movement across educational and training programs. more >>

Sector: Topic:

Featured Resources

Guide on How To Engage Employers
This guide is designed to help think about employer engagement as part of implementing workforce development strategies – and bringing current practices up to the next level.For each principle we have included several strategies from peer ARRA grantees who have implemented the principles in their own communities. Stories from grantees in the field are provided as well as resources on the Communities of Practice and beyond.
Higher Education: Leading the Nation to a Safe & Secure Energy Future
A white paper from ACUPCC and Second Nature that explores how the federal government can develop and enhance energy efficiency and renewable energy incentives for colleges and universities.
Our Common Ground: Campus Food Sustainability
Real Food Real Jobs has released a new report, ‘Our Common Ground: Food Workers, Sustainable Food Advocates, and Institutions of Higher Education,’ which outlines the opportunities for college and university communities to create a model of campus food sustainability that will serve as an example for other large institutions across the country. (October 2012)
Food, Farming & Community: Resources for Expanding Awareness
Free curricula from the Michigan State University Museum that builds greater understanding about local food, and the viability and importance of sustainable practices. Find in this website: A six-part community-oriented curriculum (http://www.foodfarmingandcommunity.org/curriculum/), essays, and an annotated book and film list on sustainable agriculture of use in discussions and teachings: (http://www.foodfarmingandcommunity.org/resources/)
Santa Cruz Agroecology Institute
The mission of the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems is to research, develop, and advance sustainable food and agricultural systems that are environmentally sound, economically viable, socially responsible, non-exploitative, and that serve as a foundation for future generations. The Center produces a variety of publications for researchers, farmers, students, educators, and home gardeners. Much of this material, including a Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum, is available for free download. It includes materials on how to connect college food systems with local farmers.
Webinar: Help Your Students and Their Employers Understand How to Grow Green Jobs
This webinar shares concepts, learning outcomes and learning activities you can easily incorporate in your courses to create more success for your students and for the businesses where they will work. Educating our students for green jobs and careers often requires going beyond the teaching of technological skills and knowledge. A successful green business employee also needs an understanding of how to effectively communicate about the green product and how to help the employer understand and utilize the successful green business models. Yet these items are often missing in our curricula. Standard marketing, sales and business courses do not address this problem.

More Resources

Green Ways: A Jobs for the Future Initiative
The GreenWays initiative provides high-quality workforce services to employers and to workers seeking to advance their careers in the green economy.
Inter-institutional Network for Food, Agriculture and Sustainability
A national network of scholars committed to the development and support of food and agricultural systems that sustain the health of people, society, and the natural environment.
25% Renewables by 2025
View “25x’25”s resources page which covers both technology and policy issues that can prove helpful in the development of curricular materials and information packets. "25x'25" is a nonprofit advocating for renewable energy and a goal for America – to get 25 percent of our energy from renewable resources like wind, solar, and biofuels by the year 2025.
Climate Change Solutions: Strategies and Partnerships
This webpage discusses examples of strategies, collaborative partnerships, technologies, energy and water efficiency opportunities, and other opportunities to mitigate the effects of global warming and help reduce emissions.
Foodlinks: Sustainable Food Network
The FOODLINKS project aims at developing and experimenting with new ways of linking research to policy-making in the field of sustainable food consumption and production. The project partners will leverage new technologies such as social media to balance the constraints imposed by geographic, cultural and hierarchical barriers.
Guide on How To Engage Employers
This guide is designed to help think about employer engagement as part of implementing workforce development strategies – and bringing current practices up to the next level.For each principle we have included several strategies from peer ARRA grantees who have implemented the principles in their own communities. Stories from grantees in the field are provided as well as resources on the Communities of Practice and beyond.
CareerOneStop - Competency Model Clearinghouse
A clearinghouse of competency model frameworks. Includes high-growth industries such as Energy Generation, Transmission, and Distribution and Advanced Manufacturing (including green manufacturing principles). Developed through a collaborative effort involving the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and various industry organizations.
Our Common Ground: Campus Food Sustainability
Real Food Real Jobs has released a new report, ‘Our Common Ground: Food Workers, Sustainable Food Advocates, and Institutions of Higher Education,’ which outlines the opportunities for college and university communities to create a model of campus food sustainability that will serve as an example for other large institutions across the country. (October 2012)
Chicago Advocates for Urban Agriculture and Job Training for the Disadvantaged: Growing Home
Growing Home provides transitional employment and training for individuals in Chicago facing multiple barriers to securing permanent and unsubsidized employment through a social enterprise business based on organic agriculture.
Partnership for Sustainable Communities
These resources can enhance community partnerships and project based learning (a core pedagogy of sustainability education) by expanding understanding of sustainable communities efforts. The Partnership for Sustainable Communities with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Transportation helps improve access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide. Also view the Grants and Resources pages.
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This resource made possible with the generous support from the Kresge Foundation