‘Green Education' to become part of Edison State College Curriculum
Oct 6, 2009
Architect and Edison State College professor Albert Dambrose’s latest design project is in developing ‘Green Education’.
“We would like students to graduate from our Drafting and Design program with a variety of skills that will make them more competitive in the workforce,” said Dambrose. “Green (Sustainable) Design and Construction is an emerging sector of our economy that continues to expand. As an educational institute, we are always striving to teach our students the new concepts, tools and technology that will allow them to be successful in their careers.”
To infuse the Department of Professional and Technical Studies curriculum with the latest information in sustainability, Dambrose and a team at Edison State College applied for and was awarded one of the most highly coveted and competitive grants in the green field.
The National Science Foundation awarded Edison State College a $150,000 grant to support Dambrose’s proposal, “Green Building and Alternative Energy Curriculum Infusion.”
“In our Drafting and Design program we want to educate our students in the philosophy of sustainable design and construction,” said Dambrose. “Our students work for architects, engineers, construction managements as well as many other sectors in construction. We want graduates to know how to design, document and construct within a sustainable framework.”
Edison State College understands the need to train new generations of workers to ‘think green’. According to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making ‘green building’ a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
“Edison State graduates will be well-qualified to earn one of these 2.5 million jobs,” said Dennette Foy, Associate Dean of Professional and Technical Studies at Edison State College. “This grant will help the College as a whole because it will allow Edison State to become a working research lab on sustainable topics. Students will get an education in sustainability; they will then translate those lessons into the community when they join the workforce.”
Edison State College also plans to partner with local professional associations to expand resources and exposure to maintain a leadership role in the area of sustainability in Southwest Florida.
The grant will be used in part to obtain the newest software and technology used in sustainable design. Dambrose hopes the students will learn how to execute and construct a green building for a client. He wants students to understand the process of documenting and obtaining LEED certification from the USGBC for buildings.
Dambrose’s ultimate goal is for graduates of his program: Earning a LEED Green AP accreditation from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
Edison State College is Southwest Florida’s largest, most established, most accessible and most affordable school of higher education serving more than 18,000 students in 5 counties with campuses in Lee, Collier and Charlotte, and a center serving Hendry/Glades. Many classes are available online at www.edison.edu.
For media inquiries contact, Catherine Bergerson, Director of Communications and Marketing, 239-489-9460 or mbergerson@edison.edu.
###
Last Updated: October 6, 2009
Back to News Archives