Green Jobs Academy
Green Jobs Academy
Green Jobs Academy of Rowan University
Green Jobs Academy of Rowan University is a collaborative hub and accelerator program that works with industry, workforce development, and community college partners, including Rowan College of South Jersey, to develop stackable training, educational, and experiential learning offerings. Its goal is to prepare students, workers, and professionals for in-demand jobs in clean energy and other green economy sectors.
Green Jobs Academy creates and supports innovative flexible pathways for earning industry credentials, professional and academic certificates, and associate's, bachelor's, and graduate-level degrees. The Academy's focus is on catalyzing equitable economic growth, advancing solutions for a sustainable planet, and building a diverse green workforce - with access and opportunities for underserved populations.
Currently funded by a $1M TD Bank Ready Challenge Grant, the Green Jobs Academy has supported programming in offshore wind, solar, community and student awareness, internships, multi-disciplinary initiatives, and industry and energy sector networking.
To work with the Green Jobs Academy, or for more information, please contact Green Jobs Academy Coordinator Marie Casanova casanovam@rowan.edu.
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High School Students in a Wind & Solar Workshop -
High School Students in a Plant Energy Workshop -
Students at Alternative Energy Symposium assembling wind & solar kits -
High School Students Assembling a Wind Turbine -
High School Students Measuring Energy from Plants -
High School Students in Wind & Solar Workshop
Alternative Energy Symposium
In May 2024, Green Jobs Academy hosted its first annual Alternative Energy Symposium for local high school students. A partnership between Green Jobs Academy, Rowan University's College of Engineering, and Rowan University's School of Earth & Environment, the Symposium was developed to educate students from selected high school STEM Academies about various forms of alternative energy and raise awareness about related future career prospects in the region. Students learned about the concept of "greening" your degree or career, with clean energy industry and Rowan University speakers demonstrating that regardless of your career path, students can consider exciting options like Renewable Energy, Sustainability, or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as an add-on.
The Symposium organizers aimed to make the experience fun for the students by providing interactive workshops that engaged and challenged the students and kept them thinking. The Scavenger Hunt, which included a series of ten questions about the material covered throughout the event, led to a random drawing for one portable Goal Zero Nomad Solar Panel Charger and one 826-piece LEGO Creator Expert Vestas Wind Turbine Kit, which went to Pitman High School.
Industry speakers presented their personal career stories and answered questions during the Speaker Panel led by Marie Casanova, Green Jobs Academy Coordinator. Presenters included Chad Lobley, Senior Development Manager from Enel North America (Solar), Roberto Polanco, Lead Electrical Engineer Onshore Substation from Atlantic Shores (Offshore Wind), and Alexa Watkins, Strategy and Business Development Lead from South Jersey Industries (Renewable Natural Gas and Hydrogen). Michael Rusnak, Rowan Engineering student, shared his educational and job journey, to round out the perspectives from which the attendees could gain insights.
Students chose two of the three offered workshops to participate in:
- GIS Planning - Using maps to plan where an alternative energy site can be located, and how to understand the constraints around where to place a site. Led by Dr. Zachary Christman, Rowan University School of Earth & Environment, Chair of Geography, Planning and Sustainability Department.
- Wind & Solar - While in small groups, students built small-scale wind turbines connected to a battery and two solar panels so they could understand how when the turbine spins (or the sun shines), the energy meter increase. Led by Dr. Yashwant Sinha, Rowan University, College of Engineering, assisted by engineering student workers.
- Plant Energy - Students used voltmeters to measure how much potential energy was stored in the leaves of different plants. Then they connected multiple leaves of plants together with wires to see if the charge increased. Led by Dr. Yashwant Sinha, Rowan University, College of Engineering, assisted by engineering student workers.
Jennifer Totora, Rowan University School of Earth & Environment’s Programs & Events Specialist communicated with the schools and planned the overall event.
To see the full report of the event including assessment data click here.
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Representatives from the wind and solar industry and Rowan University -
Pitman High School STEAM Academy winners of the giveaway at the AES '24