Loading ...
Santa Monica Community College offers six courses in “Environmental Living”
It’s tough to remember the last time a piece of junk mail not only didn’t frustrate us but was actually a pleasure to receive. Just minutes ago, we arrived back to the office and went through the ritual weeding of junk from non-junk. (This despite already signing up for two sites that promised to end our junk mail. But we also know of a stealth startup that will solve this social and environmental burden once and for all.) It’s to the point where you can sense, without even looking, what is and is not junk mail. You get into the habit of sorting mail by the recycler to make it easier. Anyway, this time it was different.
Shining through the coupons and credit card offers was this:
We probably got this because our office is basically adjacent to the Santa Monica Community College (SMC) campus…home of KCRW (best radio station ever). In particular, this is for SMC’s Continuing Community Education program, which includes six courses in Environmental Living, categorized by Building, Landscape, and Solar Energy. These range from four-day programs to a nine-month course (weekends) with a price range of $49 to $1,950. We’re guessing that financial aid is available on a need basis.
It’s exciting to see these types of courses being offered in this way. This type of educational infrastructure is vital to building the green economy and training people for green collar jobs. Despite being on the West Side of LA, we’re sure Van Jones will approve. We’ve taken the liberty of posting the courses below.
Is this part of a larger trend? Are other community colleges offering courses like this, or is this another case of the Santa Monica/California green bubble existence? Let us know what else is out there and if you’ve been pleasantly surprised by junk mail in the same way.
Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate Program
This nine-month weekend program—held one Friday and Saturday each month—provides specialized training for architects, engineers, developers, building owners, contractors, and other building professionals interested in learning about strategies and tools for implementing sustainable building. The program covers how to: Identify and articulate the key practices of sustainable building; Apply LEED™, GreenPoint Rated and other established green rating systems; Analyze the costs and benefits of incorporating sustainable building measures; Work with architects, designers, builders, building operators, and utilities to improve a building’s performance; Take advantage of financial incentives and technical assistance offered by governments, utilities, and nonprofit organizations; Establish sustainable design goals for project development; and Assist in educating and training your facility’s or firm’s staff in sustainable building. $80 textbook fee payable to Verde Concepts and $27 textbook fee payable to NaSBAP at first class.
Come find out about permaculture, a holistic approach to integrating human shelter, plants, animals, soils, and water to create a more sustainable community. This powerful course covers everything from natural building materials and techniques to creating edible, water-saving gardens, and takes a look at useful, sensible strategies used by communities to lessen their carbon footprint.
Trouble-Free Drip Irrigation for Landscape Professionals
Prerequisite: Must be a practicing landscape professional. As water supplies get tighter and urban runoff becomes a bigger issue in Southern California, the advantages of drip irrigation systems become more important to landscape professionals. This workshop, presented by the Landscape Water Efficiency staff of the City of Santa Monica, will show you how to design and build trouble-free drip systems for all types of landscapes. Installation specifications and samples of recommended materials are included. Please note: Class fee will be waived if you are currently listed as a Sustainable Landscape Professional by the City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division.
Solar Power Systems for Career Seekers
Explore the basics of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Learn what you need to know about PV panels, how they interface with electrical systems, and how they power residential and commercial facilities. Find out about basic capacity and electrical requirements for system installations, PV system components, panel mounting hardware, standard codes, and safe installation procedures. Also, gain an understanding of the market, regulatory requirements, and infrastructure factors shaping today’s PV industry.
Solar Power Systems for Contractors & Workers
If you’re a contractor or worker in the building trades industry—or if you’ve recently been hired by a solar photovoltaic (PV) company as an installer—come learn about the components that are unique to solar PV systems and how they are integrated into residential and commercial projects. Find out what you need to know about panel mounting techniques and hardware, standard codes, and safe installation procedures. Also, gain an understanding of the market, regulatory requirements, and infrastructure factors shaping today’s PV industry.
Related Posts
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
1 response so far ↓
1 10 Ways that Social Media and Sustainability Line Up : Sustainablog // Aug 25, 2008 at 9:36 am
[...] entirely new sector of so-called “green-collar jobs”, which can include anything from installing solar panels to the aforementioned Chief Sustainability Officer. Van Jones is a champion of the green economy as [...]
Leave a Comment