CREATE | Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education

 
CREATE Launches Support Center for Renewable Energy Educators

The new CREATE Support Center is the result of collaboration by three previously funded NSF entities: The CREATE Regional Center at College of the Canyons, the Consortium for Education in Renewable Energy Technology at Madison Area Technical College, and the Northwest Energy Education Institute at Lane Community College. These organizations are combining their collective renewable energy expertise and resources to bolster the numerous new renewable energy technical education programs that have been created across the U.S. in recent years.

The goal of the CREATE Center is to advance the field of renewable energy and strengthen two-year college renewable energy programs by:

1) Supporting faculty delivering renewable energy educational programs
2) Establishing renewable energy industry, business and academic partnerships
3) Promoting renewable energy technician careers and visibility
4) Addressing renewable energy technician knowledge, skills, and competencies
5) Distributing exemplary renewable energy materials, curricula, and pedagogical practices

CREATE delivers STEM Educator Solar Institute

To strengthen the connections between high schools and community colleges, CREATE has developed a faculty professional development program focused on solar photovoltaics. High School teachers participating in the three-day hands-on institute learn how to install a residential solar system, and also experience several smaller bench scale activities that they can replicate in the classroom with their own students. The 2016 institute was held in Madison, WI and plans are underway for additional locations in upcoming years.

CREATE Leads International Renewable Energy Network

CREATE developed an international learning community of renewable energy educators, to improve curricula and pedagogy by sharing best practices in content, teaching, certifications, articulation, and career pathways. Fourteen US educators have participated in the international learning exchanges to Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Germany and the Caribbean. This initiative has advanced the skills and competencies of the participants, allowing them to add an international context and perspective to the renewable energy programs at their institutions. The results of this work have been shared with more than 2,000 students and nearly 1000 other energy and education professionals. The findings have also been disseminated in recent presentations and publications delivered at Hi-Tec, STEMtech, AAS and ASEE annual meetings.

CREATE to offer Summer Energy Educator Series

To provide community college faculty with the opportunity to learn about energy efficiency and interact with commercial buildings, CREATE is planning a weeklong faculty professional development Summer Energy Educator Series (SEES). The SEES workshop will be held at Lane Community College in late June. For more information and to sign up for the CREATE email list, see the new CREATE website at www.CreateEnergy.org