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This past June in Iceland, The GREEN Program (TGP), in partnership with the Center for Renewable Energy Education (CREATE) Energy Center developed a new program in Iceland for technical educators and faculty at community colleges across the United States who teach courses in renewable energy. Thanks to the support and funding of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the program examined Iceland’s clean energy and electric transportation sectors, and specifically, the role that national policy, municipal government initiatives, and emerging technology demonstration projects have played in the development of Iceland’s electric transportation ecosystem. It also considers how educational institutions have adapted to embrace these new technologies.
Participants toured Iceland’s largest automotive leader, geothermal and hydropower plants, and learned directly from industry leaders how Iceland has developed its charging infrastructure and how the new load has been supported by the electrical grid. Faculty who participated in the program were asked to document their experiences in Iceland, identify lessons learned and best practices, and plan how they would then apply their learning to technician education programming in the U.S.
“I’m honored to have represented Valencia College and NSF CREATE in Iceland with The GREEN Program. I plan to share Iceland’s best practices with other interested higher education faculty members and students as well as with K-12 instructors and their students to get them excited about what a sustainable electric transportation future might look like someday within the United States.”
– Debbie Hall, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology, Valencia College
This October, TGP and CREATE will present a joint session at the 2024 American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Conference on Global Learning in Washington, DC, featuring a panel discussion with three faculty participants from the program, Jennifer Clemons from Pennsylvania State University, Debbie Hall from Valencia College, and Chris Miller from Heartland Community College. They will discuss their findings from Iceland as well as how educators can incorporate international experiences into the curriculum to prepare students for work in globally competitive and collaborative fields.
“The NSF-funded collaboration between CREATE and The GREEN Program had a significant, personal impact on both my teaching and my students’ learning. The immersion in hands-on, site-based learning—focused on EVs, green energy, and EV charging infrastructure—provided far more than just technical knowledge.
First, the diverse backgrounds of the participants, from technical schools to universities and industry, enriched every discussion. Second, the combination of history, culture, and cutting-edge technology sparked new ideas for how I can make learning more relevant and inspiring for my students. It helps them see the big picture in the ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’ way I want them to learn—engaged, immersed, and connected to the world around them.
– Denise Weinhoeft-Renfro, Director of the Academy of Green Technology, Douglas Byrd High School
The collaboration between The GREEN Program, the National Science Foundation, and CREATE Energy Center has also paved the way for a transformative approach to teaching renewable energy and electric transportation. By immersing educators in Iceland’s innovative clean energy landscape, participants have gained invaluable insights into best practices, policies, and emerging technologies. As they prepare to share their learnings at the AAC&U Conference, these educators will inspire future generations of students, fostering a sustainable electric transportation future in the United States. This collaborative initiative exemplifies the power of experiential learning and global collaboration in shaping tomorrow’s workforce.
To learn more about our Iceland program, please see our Programs page or reach out to our team with interest at info@thegreenprogram.com. To explore past capstone projects, please visit our website.