Connecting Students with Local Environmental Scientists and Engineers. Carolyn Watkins, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

Transcription

1 Connecting Students with Local Environmental Scientists and Engineers Carolyn Watkins, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

2 What do students think of as environmental careers?

3 So many more Environmental Careers

4 Environmental Career Ambassadors Project Partners:

5 Why Now? Governor Kasich s emphasis on preparing students for careers in STEM fields Enrollment decline in some undergraduate environmental programs at Ohio colleges and universities Wave of retirements depleting ranks of professionals in fields like environmental health Ohio employers indicating qualified applicants harder to find for technical fields

6 Middle and high school Target audiences Students considering fouryear baccalaureate degrees Students considering twoyear technical programs Students attending career/technical education centers Gifted and International Baccalaureate students

7 Environmental jobs with high school or two-year degrees Drinking Water Treatment Plant Operator Certified pollution control equipment installer Lab tech Nature interpreter

8 How does it work? More than 300 environmental professionals have volunteered as Career Ambassadors in 53 Ohio counties and statewide Educators search a free online database by county to find local ambassadors

9 What can Ambassadors do? Make classroom presentations Participate in Career Exploration Days

10 Host field trips Ambassadors also Offer internships and shadowing opportunities Mentor young professionals

11 OSU Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) Topic groups on air quality, education/health, energy, land use, water, wildlife Career ambassador pages and search features

12 Who do Ambassadors work for? Large and small businesses Environmental engineering & consulting firms Universities State & Federal Agencies Local Agencies: municipal public utilities, park districts, recycling offices, soil and water conservation districts, solid waste management districts

13 Ambassador fear: I don t know how to talk to kids! Toolkits to help make Ambassador presentations more engaging, hands-on, and age-appropriate Pre-visit classroom activities aligned with Ohio science standards by grade level

14 Sample Toolkit: Drinking and Wastewater Treatment Classroom activities from Healthy Water, Healthy People and U.S. EPA EnviroScape Drinking and Wastewater Treatment Plant model and Ground Water Flow model available for loan in many Ohio counties

15 Toolkit Lending Library: DVDs on Environmental Occupations Environmental Inspector Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Manager Geologist Meteorologist Park Ranger Biological Scientist Solid Waste Manager Air Quality Manager Hazardous Waste Manager Recycling Plant Manager Urban & Regional Planner Forester & Conservation Scientist

16 Environmental Inspector DVD

17 Regional Coordinators Part-time coordinators linking local environmental professionals with schools and career/tech centers about career exhibits, toolkits, models and videos for loan

18 Connecting the Dots: Ongoing Career Initiatives Statewide Career Days at many schools Company-sponsored programs Competitions Career/technical education centers

19 Career Fairs: Who Works the River in Cincinnati

20 Corporate Career Programs SP&L Explorers program, online renewable energy curriculum, hands-on experimentation kits, mentoring program, internships and scholarships

21 National Engineers Week Middle school teams future cities judged on energy & environmental criteria

22 Ohio Envirothon Competition High school teams tested on forestry, soils, water quality, wildlife, current policy issues

23 Career Shadowing Programs Wayne National Forest, Little Cities of the Forest, Hocking College School of Natural Resources High school students shadowing environmental professionals monitoring water quality, building trails, removing invasive species, studying vernal pools & pollinators

24 Career Shadowing Programs Cleveland Public Schools, Cleveland State University, Earth Day Coalition High school students shadowing environmental professionals researching urban heat islands. Students leading anti-idling campaign on school grounds

25 Connecting the Dots: Grants from the Ohio Environmental Education Fund $49,628 to Collins Career Center (Southeast Ohio) Students in agri-science, natural resources, carpentry, business & marketing jointly manage a forest plot and sawmill to document economic benefits and job opportunities from sustainable timber harvesting, reforestation, and habitat restoration

26 Connecting the Dots: OEEF Grants $14,898 to Miami Valley Career Technology Center Students produce biodiesel fuel from soybeans; perform maintenance and diagnostics on diesel school buses, farm and construction equipment using biodiesel; and monitor carbon emissions and fuel consumption compared to other fuels

27 Connecting the Dots: OEEF Grants $18,705 to Penta Career Center (Northwest Ohio) Equipment for students in grades to explore solar, wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal & fuel cell technologies Week-long STEM summer day camp on Green Energy careers for students in grades 7-9

28 College Scholarships Environmental Science and Engineering Scholarship program to help 2 nd and 4 th year college students finish their degree programs

29 Join the EPN at as an educator Review EPN member profiles Search by county to identify ambassadors available locally Or contact EECO for local list

30

31 Online Career Pathways Pathways

32 Ohio Means Jobs K-12 resources ExploreIt/k-12-resources.aspx

33 Questions? EECO s Career Ambassador Web page