The G.R.E.E.N. (Global Renewable Energy Education
Network) program gives students the opportunity to study topics of renewable
energy and sustainability in Costa Rica for 12 days. In these 12 days, students
gain a competitive industry advantage by receiving hands on site visits in five
different types of alternative energy, otherwise not possible in the United
States. Professionals who have been in the industry for twenty plus years give
the tours through the energy facilities. The students also complete community
service projects, where they install rainwater collection systems in a local
town. At the end of the trip, the students are required to present a Cap Stone
Project, which deals on the topics of energy, sustainability, economics, and
feasibility. A small percentage of the students have even been successful in
starting their own businesses!
There are several opportunities available to the
students that complete the GREEN program. Students receive access to our alumni
network, where we post several green jobs and internship opportunities. The
GREEN community is also very helpful with sharing the opportunities that are
available in their area, along with keeping everyone updated with current energy
standards/policy.
Once a student completes the program, they receive a
personal letter of recommendation from the GREEN team. Many students also choose
to come back and work in Costa Rica. Students have received LEED certifications
months after the program. Many students are chosen to come back and continue
working with GREEN in Costa Rica and at their schools. The top GREEN alumni are
invited to participate in the GREEN Ambassador Program. As a GREEN Ambassador,
students are representatives of the GREEN Program at their Institution. This
means that they are responsible for understanding the entrepreneurial culture of
the GREEN Program with keeping the best interest of their institution in
mind.
Whether it is to benefit from a LEED certification,
an internship in Costa Rica, a counselor and/or GREEN Ambassador position,
learning spanish, servicing the community, the GREEN Alumni Network, or a once
in a lifetime opportunity, GREEN has been a career accelerator and professional
development tool that has driven our alumni to the next level!
Our top alumni will also be invited to par take in
our Iceland GREEN pilot program, which will begin in May of 2013. Only the top
students that have completed the GREEN program will get a chance to come on our
pilot program in Iceland to learn further about their renewable energy studies
in another country.
The opportunities with GREEN are endless, and we are
constantly expanding our resources to help benefit our alumni. Give your
students a chance to become a part of this network of like-minded individuals,
who will be the leaders in the clean energy workforce for years to
come.
Best Regards,
Ernesto
Ernesto Daset <Ernesto@thegreenprogram.com>
