Overview
Throughout the Pacific Northwest, emerging bioenergy businesses and industries are creating exciting employment possibilities. To prepare the workforce for these jobs, AHB developed educational programs at the K-12, community college, four-year college, and professional master’s levels.
Task
Develop a Plant Operations associate degree/certification program at Walla Walla Community College. Create materials and programs for K-12 and college-level educators and students to ensure that bioenergy can be easily incorporated into STEM education.
Outcomes
- Created an Energy Systems Technology/Plant Operations program at Walla Walla Community College that successfully trained 25 students (as of 2018).
- Conducted a series of evaluations with bioenergy expert panelists to determine what type of education would best meet the needs of a future bioeconomy, both at the K-12 and college level.
- Developed a Bioenergy Minor at OSU to give students the tools to solve bioenergy problems in innovative ways.
- Delivered bioenergy concepts to teachers and K-12 students, in collaboration with OSU’s SMILE (Science & Math Investigative Learning Experience) program.
- Hosted several teacher workshops.
- Trained Masters students.
