Sunday, October 25, 2009

Iowa Lakes Community College: Partnership for Academic and Economic Success in a Rapidly Evolving Wind-Energy Industry

Iowa Lakes Community College have demanded for a trained renewable energy workforce in order to reduce energy expenses. Their request for the program launched in 2004, since then it became a 2 year degree program for the studies of wind energy. Students join together and come up with a project involving wind energy. Most of their projects become a great use to the environment. Students work utilizing a 1.65 megawatts wind turbines as a laboratory. Their work has became a great help not only to the environment but also economically that America should "continue to pursue alternative energy resources and encourage citizens to pursue formal education in renewable energy." This program also pre-pairs students on becoming future technicians with high skills, great knowledge of wind energy. So far this Community College has became a success and hopes to grow and pass on to other schools.

2 comments:

diana camcho said...

Once again we all must take in the good with the bad, and fortunately in this case it is only the former. Every day we hear how carless we have become when pursuing ideas to further alternative energy sources, but it is refreshing to see something so positive and optimistic. Now what is shown here by Iowa Lakes Community College is another step towards shaping generations to come to be prepared for the transition of alternative energy. Being a freshman myself in The University of Austin, I see firsthand how projects such as these snowball and have a global impact, as the saying goes “What start hear changes the world.”
Taking it one step further, if this idea could somehow be implemented in our primary and secondary schooling it would have an impact beyond belief, it could be a subject presented just like English, math, or social science. Of course this may not be presented just yet at such an early grade level, but seen as how it has hit the college world, filled with eager minds ready to learn, I see a bright paved road head.

Diego said...

Every project based on a good idea becomes always a success. If just a College in Iowa has supposed such a help for the country, how much could we get if we do something like in Iowa but in all the states? Wind energy in Iowa, solar energy in Texas and California, Nuclear in other states … in couple years we could find the solution for the crisis it’s starting due to almost finished energy resources, climate change and the pollution we are continuously producing. In only 2 years they’ve found solutions not to damage the environment so much, so in couple years more we could find a new way to substitute petroleum for car’s use, or maybe a cheaper way to produce electricity. Maybe the solution is so obvious that professionals don’t see it, but a non expert student could find it. It’s time to listen to young brains!