Environmental%20Education,%2021st%20Century%20Style:%20Preparing%20Students%20for%20Green%20Jobs

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Environmental Education, 21st Century Style
Preparing Students for Green Jobs
A Green Pathway to CTE and 21st Century Learning

• Laura Downey
• Kansas Association for Conservation and
  Environmental Education (KACEE)
• www.kacee.org and www.kansasgreenschools.org

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A Look at Green Jobs in Kansas

• In May 2010, the Kansas Department of Labor
  released the first-ever Kansas Green Jobs Report,
  a survey of 6,000 Kansas employers.
• Employers were asked to estimate how many
  employees they would be hiring to perform green
  jobs.
• http//www.dol.ks.gov/LMIS/doc/KansasGreenJobsRepo
  rt.pdf

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What is a Green Job?

• Primary Green Jobs produce a green product or
  provide a green service
• Conducting research to develop wind turbines or
  solar panels
• Increase green practices and activities within a
  company
• Manufacture and/or install solar panels, energy
  efficient windows, etc.

• Support Green Jobs assist those performing
  Primary Green Jobs
• Teaching courses and/or training programs related
  to green knowledge or skills
• Providing financial, legal, personnel, or other
  products/services to companies engaging in green
  activities
• Selling solar panels, low-flush toilets, etc.

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Kansas is well-positionedto add Green Jobs

• In 2009, Kansas already had more than 20,000
  primary green jobs and 26,000 support green jobs!
• This is equivalent to 1.5 percent and 1.9 percent
  of Kansas employment, so there is lots of room to
  grow.

• Of the green jobs already existing

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What is the future forGreen Jobs in Kansas?

• Kansas is projected to have more than 30,000
  primary green jobs by 2012
• The largest increases will be in the renewable
  energy area (121.4 percent)

• Increases are also expected in the areas of
  increasing energy efficiency, clean
  transportation and fuels, agriculture and natural
  resource conservation and pollution
  prevention/environmental clean-up

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Educational Requirements ofGreen Jobs in Kansas

• 41.5 percent required only a high school diploma
  or GED
• 28 percent had no educational requirement
• Just 10.5 percent required a bachelors degree

• 58.6 percent of employers are using on-the-job
  training to prepare workers for green jobs
• The most common green skills and knowledge needed
  by employers is related to waste minimization,
  energy conservation, and environmental
  policies/regulations

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Career and Technical Education

• Connecting students to the real world
• Creating interest in fields with growing demand
  for workers, such as green jobs

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How can Environmental Education Help Prepare
Students for Green Jobs?

• EE can serve as a real world entry point for
  students to discover an interest in the
  environment
• EE can provide a basic understanding of how
  ecosystems work and how human actions affect the
  environment

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How can Environmental Education Help Prepare
Students for Green Jobs?

• EE can introduce students to environmental issues
  such as energy production and use, and help them
  learn the skills needed to solve challenges

Small wind turbine at Goddard HS used to power an
aerator for the school pond.
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EE can set students up for success in Green Jobs
through 21st Century Learning Skills
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EEs learning approach models processes for
problem-solving and critical thinking

• Consensus building
• Inquiry-driven
• Connection to service learning
• Involving the community
• Project-based
• Working in teams
• Presenting your case, ie town hall meetings
• Representing viewpoints different than your own

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21st Century Learning and CTE

• 21st Century Unifying Themes
• Global Awareness
• Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial
  Literacy
• Civic Literacy
• Health Literacy
• Environmental Literacy

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21st Century Unifying Theme Environmental
Literacy

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the
  environment and the circumstances and conditions
  affecting it, particularly as relates to air,
  climate, land, food, energy, water and ecosystems
  
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of
  societys impact on the natural world (e.g.,
  population growth, population development,
  resource consumption rate, etc.)
• Investigate and analyze environmental issues, and
  make accurate conclusions about effective
  solutions
• Take individual and collective action towards
  addressing environmental challenges (e.g.,
  participating in global actions, designing
  solutions that inspire action on environmental
  issues)

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Kansas Green Schools Program

• School projects connect students to real world
  experiences
• Explore ways to make schools more environmentally
  friendly (collecting and analyzing assessment
  data)
• Make presentations, communicate ideas through
  video and social media
• Project planning, implementation, and management
• Raise funds, learn about processes for project
  approval (school board meetings)

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Olathe South HS

• Compostable trays and bottle recycling in
  Olathe South HS Cafeteria

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Clifton-Clyde School District

• USD 224 Superintendent Brian Pekarek and students
  from Clifton-Clyde High School during their "Wind
  Energy Day
• USD 224 elementary students using composting
  tumblers for lunch waste

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Starside Elementary, Desoto

• Mother Nature, Bob the Ball and students at
  Starside Elementary Pond
• Students digging into the vermicompost they
  harvested

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EE can help prepare students for jobs that
havent been invented yet!

• Supports school CTE efforts
• Provides opportunities to connect with community
• Project-based learning experience with
  career-building challenges and successes

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Thanks for coming!

• How else might EE support CTE and 21st Century
  Skills?
• How can we support your CTE efforts?

• Laura Downey
• KACEE
• ldowney_at_kacee.org
• 785-532-3322