How Does My Green Curriculum Cover Concepts?

As you can see above, this is a hands-on curriculum that can be adapted to many learning styles, student ages and abilities. Each of the 4 units (Weatherization, Green Building, Green Jobs and Energy Auditing) is divided into individual modules. Organic Think suggests beginning and ending each module with a discussion about expectations and outcomes with supplied prompts that spark robust discussion and segue nicely into the bulk of the module content. The bulk of the content is delivered through a combination of the Tell, Show, Do methodology with presentations, videos, reading materials and labs.

Inquiry Based Learning

Engage

The first stage in the Green Collar WorkForce Curriculum pedagogy begins inquiry of the module topic by asking pertinent questions of the students on interesting topics that to which they will be able to relate. This gets the teacher talking and the students talking prior to hitting them with the main module concepts. The instructor creates a connection from the discussion to the ‘tell’ stage

Tell How to Do It

Instructors use graphically based, interactive presentations to convey pivotal information for each module. Complete with instructor notes and plentiful resources for instructor enrichment, presentations convey the necessary information as well as introduce the other learning strategies and activities so that all of the class, lab and field activities introductions are familiar to students.

Show How to Do It

Standardized mock ups and demonstrations are used throughout the curriculum giving instructors tools for engaging students and students visual and tactile cues for concept reinforcement. The curriculum includes information on building the necessary mock ups and props which are also melded into activities. Videos and interactive websites from various sources allow for visual demonstration as well.

Self Enrichment

Manageable reading assignments present the opportunity for cross-purpose training for construction trainers and classroom trainers tasked with improving reading and comprehension competencies. 

Practice Doing It

Making up almost 70% of the instructional time, practice and activities are the heart of the Green Collar WorkForce Curriculum. Incorporating task specific reading assignments into the basic learning competencies retains student interest in content with industry specific information. This conveyance method includes field work, individual projects, lab practice and group projects.

Ask About It

Each module and activities within them conclude with opportunities for students to ask questions about the topics covered as well as inducing follow up questions from students by instigating conversation with leading questions from the instructor.

Credentials

The Green Collar WorkForce Curriculum content will help students to prepare for the nationally recognized credentials listed below. The curriculum was designed with regard to the learning standards from the organizations that administer the credentials. Students could test for the BPI Air Sealing Installer and BPI Dense Pack Installer, along with other credentials as needed, depending on their development and availability. Some of these credentials are still under development or so new that timing is critical.

All Green Collar WorkForce Curriculum Participant Credentials

• Green Advantage
• BPI Air Sealing Installer + Crew Chief
• BPI Dense Pack Installer + Crew Chief

Green Collar WorkForce Curriculum Top Performer Credential Preparation

For students that exhibit the tenacity, motivation and commitment, the Green Collar WorkForce Curriculum lays a sturdy foundation for high performing students to proceed to subsequent credentials geared toward entrepreneurs interested in energy auditing, consultation and contracting. Organic Think Inc can offer additional training and preparation for these credentials.

• BPI Envelope Specialist
• BPI Building Analyst
• RESNET Home Energy Survey Professional
• RESNET Energy Smart Contractor
• RESNET HERS Rater
• LEED Green Associate
• LEED Accredited Professional Homes

The Greenfolio

During the course of the My Green Curriculum, student achievement, improvement and knowledge base is easily tracked with the Greenfolio. This is an accumulation of their work in a dual resource with printed and digital compilations. Instructors use the Greenfolio as an assessment tool for student achievement. The Greenfolio simultaneously acts as a graduate resource to professionally display the green sector competencies gained from the program. Students will create a green resume, a pictorial album showing students conducting Green Skills, critical data and information that they have learned and completed projects. The digital Greenfolio will be a display for photo albums, their green resume, references and resources, while the hardcopy will retain data collection sheets and other paper outcomes from My Green Curriculum activities. Students will use use both components of the Greenfolio in their job search efforts or finding clients if they choose to start their own business.

Student Green Action Plan

As part of the My Green Curriculum activities, there are focused marketing enrichment tasks for students interspersed throughout the program. These activities create a clear student action plan partially executed during the program and extended after graduation. The activities include continuing education and credentialing opportunities, social media marketing and responsible practices, green resume development, blogs and other media all the while interlacing with the Greenfolio.

Green Skills

Within many of the modules in the My Green Curriculum, students will learn and practice specific green building and weatherization tasks that are referred to as Green Skills for the purposes of this curriculum. Essential skills will be demonstrated by students for instructors to assess their aptitude and abilities on each specific skills. This creates an opportunity for local certificates for students and establishes goals and benchmarks.