Green Jobs and Sustainable Living Training for Southern California
Youth provides Permaculture Design Certification, Introductions to
Renewable Energy and Green Building
Quail Springs, Growing Green Energy, Ojai Solar Electric,
Ecostructures, Inc., and local foundations and green businesses
partner to provide training, with scholarships for low income youth
Santa Barbara and Ventura County, CA (April 15, 2009) - While the
green jobs movement gains momentum at the state and federal level, a
partnership of local organizations has developed a sustainable living
and green jobs preparation training for Southern California youth.
Sustainable Vocations is an innovative program that prepares youth
ages 15 to 24 for diverse leadership roles that integrate
sustainability into their communities and provides a hands-on
introduction to the growing green jobs market. Developed and hosted
by Quail Springs Permaculture Farm, a nonprofit sustainability
demonstration and education center in the mountains near Santa
Barbara and Ventura, the program is accepting applications for its
first intensive session this August, and provides scholarships for
low-income youth.
At the heart of Sustainable Vocations is the power of the up and
coming generations to positively impact their communities and society
at large. In the words of students in introductory sessions earlier
this year: "I plan on spreading what I know and making my future
career one that can help the green cause. We have the power to change
the future!"
Sustainable Vocations' students will earn a Permaculture Design
Certification, receive introductions to renewable energy and green
building, with the developing option of gaining college credits.
According to Warren Brush, program co-director and lead permaculture
instructor, "Permaculture is an integrated design system being
utilized in over 135 countries, in hundreds of thousands of projects,
and increasingly being taught in colleges and universities because of
its successful approach to creating productive human habitats while
reducing our ecological footprint."
Each session of Sustainable Vocations is a three-week intensive
residential training at Quail Springs' site, with field trips to area
green industries and businesses. Transportation is provided from
Santa Barbara. Information for families is provided in Spanish and
English. Upcoming intensives are August 4-24, 2009, March 7-27, 2010,
and June 20-July 10, 2010.
"People are our greatest resource and the earth is our greatest
teacher," says Selim Sandoval of Growing Green Energy, a
Ventura-based renewable energy installation and green workforce
development company, and one of Sustainable Vocation's educational
partners. Educational partners also include: Christopher Blunt of
Ojai Solar Electric, a NABCEP certified renewable energy installer;
Mike Lillis of Ecostructures, Inc., a LEED Accredited Professional;
and local colleges who are assisting in developing accreditation of
the program.
Scholarships are provided for low-income youth through the generosity
of the Hutton Foundation and Towbes Foundation, and green business
sponsors including Island Seed and Feed, Mike Lillis of
Ecostructures, Inc., Ojai Solar Electric, and Growing Green Energy.
Sustainable Vocations is growing a community network of referral,
educational and sponsoring partners.
Kolmi Majumdar, program co-director, says "Sustainable Vocations
aligns with the deepest purpose of the green jobs movement by
investing in training young people with the critical thinking skills,
stewardship ethics, and practical know how that will empower them to
implement solutions and create new approaches to the social and
ecological problems and opportunities we face as a society."