Colorado school offers degree in eco-tech
Shortly after Independence Day 2010, Education Corp. of America will open its first in a series of what the company hopes will become a series of campuses focused on offering degrees in renewable energy technology and sustainable design principles.
The first Ecotech Institute will be established in Denver, a location chosen because of the state's plentiful renewable energy resources and also because of the state government's green-friendly political environment, says Jason Mann, vice president of marketing for Education Corp. Colorado has committed to sourcing 30 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Yes, everyone, that's just a decade from now, start counting.
There will be a total of seven two-year associate's degree programs, and one certificate program. They are:
- Electrical Engineering Technology, Associate of Applied Science
- Energy and Environmental Paralegal, Associate of Applied Science
- Energy Efficiency, Associate of Applied Science
- Environmental Technology, Associate of Applied Science
- Renewable Energy Technology, Associate of Applied Science
- Solar Energy Technology, Associate of Applied Science
- Sustainable Interior Design, Certificate Program
- Wind Energy Technology, Associate of Applied Science
For the first six months, the Ecotech school will operate in temporary digs in an office park, but it is in the process of renovating an old Sam's building in Aurora, Colorado. Among other things, that building will contain a lab where students can work with the technology, says Mann. That facility should open in January 2011; once it is established, Education Corp. will scout other locations around the United States for additional Ecotech campuses, he says. Approximately 75 to 100 students are expected to start the first classes in July.