OROVILLE, CALIF. -- Butte College has initiated numerous green practices -- from campus-wide recycling reclaiming 80 percent of its waste stream to one of the largest solar arrays for a community college -- but the college's newest effort toward a green future is the addition of classes and community workshops focused on supporting students and the community in obtaining green jobs.
Three new "green" courses will be offered for the first time in the Spring 2009 semester and "green" workshops are now being offered through The Training Place starting in January 2009. Both the courses and the workshops are designed for students, contractors, landscapers, interior designers, facility managers, homeowners and anyone interested in learning about sustainability.
There will be three sustainability courses offered at Butte.
Green Building Technology and Practices is a three-unit course in which students will learn about the green building practices used in construction, interior design, inspection and architecture as well as explore concepts from the U.S. Green Building Council and Build It Green certification programs.
Another three-unit course, titled, "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Systems," provides students with an introduction to energy efficient strategies and renewable energy systems, such as solar and wind, for residential and commercial applications, as well as efficient home energy practices, strategies, design options, construction techniques and renewable power systems.
A three-unit Green Building & Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification course will prepare students to become certified leaders in green building practices for commercial and residential projects through the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building program.
The goal is to offer a sustainability certificate program so graduates can enter the workforce while also offering students the ability to take sustainability courses that transfer to four-year institutions.
