GEF Institute’s Sustainability Courses Approved for GBCI CE Hours for LEED® Professionals

Walpole, MA, October 05, 2012 --(PR.com)-- GEF Institute, a division of the non-profit Green Education Foundation (GEF), is proud to be recognized as a GBCI Education Provider. With a total of nine online courses approved for GBCI Continuing Education (CE) Hours, GEF Institute’s arsenal of high quality, affordable online courses are now approved for the LEED credential maintenance program. Read more about the approved topics and enroll in courses at www.gefinstitute.org/online/courses.

Education Providers are third-party organizations that offer top-notch and relevant green building education and training that has been peer-reviewed and approved by GBCI. Each of the Institute’s approved courses went through a rigorous review process whereby a team of third-party subject matter experts evaluated the course based on its green construction content and instructional design quality.

Victoria Waters, CEO of GEF commented on the recent approval of the Institute’s courses: “We’re pleased to have our online courses recognized by GBCI as high quality education and of value to LEED Professionals enrolled in the credential maintenance program. We’re confident that those in the green building industry will find our engaging delivery style and foundational sustainability topics a worthy addition to their existing knowledge base.”

With the approval of these courses, GEF Institute now offers more than 13 hours of LEED credential maintenance. The online courses were developed to educate participants on sustainability concepts that are the basis for efficiency and sustainability within the building industry.

GEF Institute’s currently approved courses are:

• Introduction to Sustainability: Its Purposes, Challenges and Requirements
• Human’s Ecological Footprint
• Primary Sustainability Issues: Energy, Food, Water and Pollution
• The Global Ecosystem
• The Importance of Biodiversity
• The Economics of Sustainability
• Government and Sustainability
• New Technology and Innovative Sustainability Approaches
• Toward a Sustainable Future

Each course listed above is approved for 1.5 GBCI CE Hours under the credential maintenance category GBCI-approved education. The Institute’s courses are available online, on-demand for $50 each. By completing a selection of these courses, participants are eligible to earn a Certificate in Sustainability from GEF Institute. Furthermore, by completing all ten of the Institute’s 1.5 hour online courses (nine of which are approved for GBCI CE Hours) participants are eligible to earn academic credit from the Institute’s partnering university. Read more about the Institute’s Certificate programs and the opportunity to earn academic credit on the Institute’s website, www.gefinstitute.org/certificates.

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