December 2009 Archives

Nationwide, more than 100 majors, minors or certificates were created in 2009 in energy and sustainability-focused programs at colleges big and small, says the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

That's up from just three programs added in 2005.

Two factors are driving the surge:

Students want the courses,
Employers want the trained students

The Obama administration has estimated that jobs in energy and environmental-related occupations will grow 52% from 2000 through 2016, vs. 14% for other occupations.

Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University.

Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. has 65 majors in renewable energy, a program started in 2008 with help from a $1 million Department of Energy grant.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In September it launched a minor in energy studies. A student survey said 43% of freshmen and sophomores were very or extremely interested.

University of California-Berkeley.  The Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laborator has seen student interest in its introductory energy class explode from 40 or so students ten years ago to 270 today.

SOURCE: USA Today

"This first-in-the-nation initiative will reduce education costs ... and help ensure every California student has access to a world-class education." (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, 5/6/09)

Continuing his commitment to find savings in these challenging budget times while improving California's education system, Governor Schwarzenegger today will highlight his first-in-the-nation digital textbooks initiative at Calabasas High School. The Governor introduced this initiative as way to provide schools and students a new way to access textbooks that is less expensive, easier and lighter.  The first phase will bring high school math and science classes access to free digital textbooks by fall 2009 - with additional content to follow.

Governor Schwarzenegger's first-in-the-nation digital textbook initiative puts California on the road to a technologically advanced, higher quality and lower cost education system.

• High School Students will have access to science and math digital textbooks by the beginning of the school year. A list of standards-aligned digital textbooks for subjects such as geometry, algebra II, trigonometry, calculus, physics, chemistry, biology/life science and earth science courses will be released this August.
  • Digital books and content has already been submitted and will soon be reviewed. All content developers can submit materials to the California Learning Resources Network by June 15 in order to be reviewed in time for this upcoming school year

• Phase two of the initiative is currently being developed. This includes making digital textbooks available for all grades, incorporating interactive content and eventually creating a statewide web site highlighting available books.

This initiative has the potential to save California's schools millions of dollars. The average textbook costs about $75 to $100 per student.  For a school district with about 10,000 high school students, the use of free digital textbooks in just science and math classes could save up to $2 million dollars.

• Switching to digital textbooks will free up funds for other spending priorities. Last year, the state's share alone for school books and other instructional materials was $350 million, this is funding that can be used elsewhere after free, digital textbooks are made available.
• Schools can take advantage of this program and save money even without computers or laptops. Teachers can print out material and it would still cost a fraction of the price of a traditional textbook.

Digital textbooks will allow students to learn on new and multiple levels. Traditional hardbound textbooks are adopted in six-year cycles, meaning six years of missing information. Digital textbooks can be updated much more easily, allowing students to learn about current discoveries and technological advances as they happen.

• Frequently updated digital textbooks will better prepare California's students to compete in the global economy. Knowledge is power - the more students have, the greater opportunity they have to succeed.
• Digital textbooks open the door to more interactive learning. Students will be able read about a science experiment then watch a video demonstration - giving them more than one way to digest the information.

With a deep recession and a deep deficit, California is doing everything possible to help schools do more with less.