Washington & Jefferson College Hosts Free Green Building & Design Summer Institute For High School Students June 12-23

The Washington County-based Washington & Jefferson College Center for Energy Policy and Management will host a free Green Building and Design Summer Institute for interested high school students to be held in June with funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum and FirstEnergy foundations. 

The program is a comprehensive noncredit-bearing course that will teach the essentials of green building and design to students from local high schools in the region. 

Job shadowing opportunities and local field trips are part of the program design. The initiative will open new avenues for students and illustrate viable career opportunities in the green building and design industry. 

The program will run June 12-23 on weekdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on the W&J campus. The program is free and lunch will be provided for participants.

Students should expect to take field trips to learn about exciting projects in our area, meet with professionals in the field, work directly with professors and students at the College, and learn first-hand what to expect from post-high school programs.

The Green Building and Design Institute will introduce students to basic knowledge about energy, the environment, and design. 

By introducing students to this knowledge and information about careers that apply that knowledge, the program will take the first step to addressing the workforce gap in the green building and design industries. 

Promoting local and regional economic development, the Green Building and Design Institute will also help Southwestern Pennsylvania diversify its economy and grow in strategic areas, like solar power and energy efficiency. 

By teaching college and career readiness skills while simultaneously addressing energy and design, the program will help students gain the soft and hard skills needed to keep the regional economy competitive.

The need for individuals with these skills is highlighted in research. 

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, more than 3 million people are employed in the energy efficiency sector in the United States, with many more needed in the coming years as energy and green building jobs grow by 105% through 2026. 

Unfortunately, these topics and career pathways are often missing from K-12 instruction, which leaves students unaware of energy and design careers and keeps job openings unfilled.

To learn more or to register for this program, visit the W&J Green Building and Design Summer Institute webpage. For more information, contact Dr. Corey Young, Director of the Center for Energy Policy and Management at 724-531-6871. 

[Posted: April 19, 2023]  PA Environment Digest