This ATE Professional Development Project is building the capacity of energy and environmental technicians to meet the challenges of sustainable energy in the 21st century workplace. The project is holding two ten-day workshops, one in energy efficiency and one in energy conservation, at national laboratories for 50 upper level high school and community college technology instructors. Content experts are sharing knowledge about research advances in energy technology, the respective requirements for technicians, and their implications for a sustainable energy future. All instructors participating in the program are being invited to support one another in an on-line community as they implement sustainable energy curriculum components. The project is giving participating instructors the tools to hold workshops for other instructors at their local institutions in sustainable energy concepts, expanding the impact of the program. Evaluation of the project focuses on participant learning and contribution to building technician capacity. Findings from this project are being disseminated through conference workshops and publications as well as associated articles in educational and environmental literature. The project is allowing broad participation of underrepresented groups from across the country through financial assistance. Through this project, community college and high school instructors are gaining knowledge of current research through direct interaction with energy researchers, and researchers are getting an opportunity to learn about the needs of current energy technicians and their instructors.
