GEF Institute Offers Sustainability Certification for Career Tech/Votech Students

East Walpole, MA, July 19, 2012 --(PR.com)-- GEF Institute offers a comprehensive online course and certification test for Career and Technical Education (CTE) students which provides the valuable knowledge and skills for students to succeed in the burgeoning green economy. CTE helps our nation meet the very real and immediate challenges of economic development, student achievement, and global competitiveness. Some 14 million students are enrolled in CTE - encompassing every state, with programs in nearly 1,300 public high schools and 1,700 two-year-colleges. [1] Today, global competitiveness means efficient technology, green construction, and green design engineering, to name only a few.

The Institute’s CTE Sustainability Certification is an exciting new offering for career and technical schools nationwide. All course content, including discussion forums and the certification test, are hosted on GEF Institute's online learning platform. Testing dates are established by the partnering school, and GEF Institute will host a training webinar for test administrators to learn how to run testing reports and student scores. Testing dates, course lengths, and completion certificates can be customized by the school.

“While there are many educational programs at the state level for CTE Programs of Study, very few, if any, include materials that emphasize sustainability,” commented Victoria Waters, CEO of Green Education Foundation (GEF). “The objective of the CTE Sustainability Certification is to offer students state-of-the art sustainability education that can be easily integrated into shop-based learning and applied to real world contexts.”

The 15-hour online, self-paced course is designed to equip students with a strong foundational knowledge of sustainability, the science and technology of promoting sustainability, and the balance between environmental, social, and economic concerns. The materials provide students with a thorough introduction to sustainability topics such as ecosystems, energy and water challenges, life-cycle analysis, new technology, and climate change science.

The course incorporates hands-on activities, online modules, discussion forums, and dynamic instruction methods.

The Institute’s Sustainability Certification is appropriate for the following career clusters: Architecture and Construction; Transportation; Agriculture; Manufacturing; Natural Resources; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

In addition to the online course and certification test, the Institute also offers blended learning curriculum around green building principles and strategies for use by career tech/votech school across the country.

To learn more about the course or discuss group discount opportunities, email support@gefinstitute.org.

About GEF Institute
GEF Institute, a division of Green Education Foundation (GEF), was established to meet the increasing market demand for sustainability focused education and training. The Institute builds on GEF's expertise in K-12 sustainability education and STEM concepts by offering affordable online courses in sustainability to educators, students at the high school and undergraduate level, employees and professionals. In addition to individual online courses, the Institute’s robust certificate program distinguishes those with a proven comprehensive understanding of important sustainability topics. The Institute's courses are eligible for professional development or academic credit. www.gefinstitute.org

[1] National Center for Education Statistics