Steve Akana / Roundup
Students get the opportunity to learn how to “think green” by taking an eight-week Student Sustainability Workshop offered by Sustainable Works.
Sustainable Works is a non-profit environmental education organization that is a project of Community Partners.
The purpose of the workshop, which held its first class meeting on March 11, is to educate students on sustainability and the need for environmental awareness of waste production and consumption of vital resources such as water and energy.
In the span of the eight-week workshop, students address topics pertaining to the environment, such as water and energy conservation, waste management, chemical pollution, transportation and shopping and food consumption.
Student workshop leader Tiffany Shusett runs the workshop with the assistance of Holli Fajack, workshop coordinator.
The curriculum follows along with a Sustainable Worksbook that is provided to the students, addressing the topics of discussion and providing solutions to reduce human impact on the environment.
The program is open to anyone, but according to Fajack is most appealing to architecture students interested in green building as it is a great addition to their architecture portfolio template InDesign once they leave school and look to start a career.
“A lot of the students sign up for the workshop because professors will offer extra credit, which tends to get students in the door,” said Fajack.
According to sophomore architecture student Maria Perez, 26, the workshop is a great learning experience.
“The class is really good and is important in understanding green building, which is important to me,” said Perez.
In addition to taking the class, students are required to complete a sustainability survey and three hours of community service. Meeting these requirements enables students to receive a certificate at the end of the workshop.
The other benefit of taking the Student Sustainability Workshop is the opportunity to get a paid LEED internship that is offered to four students each year.
LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a program that works with green building.
“The LEED internship position, which is offered once a year, is open to all students interested in green building and is an added incentive for completing the workshop,” said Fajack.
Students who are interested in the Student Sustainability Workshop should know that although it is too late to join the workshop for the Spring 2010 semester, new workshops will be available in the Fall 2010.
—