The Northwest Center for Sustainable Resources is one of the NSF/ATE Centers of Excellence. The Center is a collaborative effort of partners from Oregon, Washington, and Northern California including high schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, private industries, government agencies, and Native American tribes. Its mission is to improve curriculum and produce national models for high school and technical natural resource and environmental science programs as well as provide an information network for the region and the nation. The Center is developing natural resource technology programs which incorporate higher levels of mathematics and science, using an ecosystems-based approach which emphasizes sustainable methods for resource use. Key objectives for the Center include: (a) Curriculum development and dissemination by five "lead site" colleges and six "test site" colleges with natural resource-based associate degree programs. (b) Faculty and teacher enhancement institutes which are field- and laboratory-based for teachers from all levels of education around the country, faculty tours of world-class research sites, amd other professional development activities. (c) Promotion and dissemination activities including presentations at key national and regional conferences and symposia, promotional products including a videotape and a report entitled "Visions for Natural Resource Education and Ecosystem Science for the 21st Century, and development of an electronic clearinghouse. The Center which was established in 1995 for three years is being renewed for an additional three years to maintain and enhance Center activities.
