This summer, Chicagoans interested in careers in environmental management, renewable energy, or green technology can get a solid foundation in a renewable energy class offered virtually through Wright College. Thanks to a grant from the Department of Energy, students will be fully reimbursed for tuition for that class. With renewable energy accounting for 72% of all new electrical generating capacity added to the grid worldwide in 2019, it’s the perfect time to get started in the renewable energy industry. Students who have taken the class in the past have transferred to four-year environmentally-focused programs both in-state and across the country.
Other green programs at City Colleges include an Associate of Applied Science in Environmental Technology, automotive technology classes that offer hands-on experience working on hybrid vehicles, Heating Venting Air Conditioning (HVAC) classes with energy efficient equipment and building controls, and an urban agriculture program through Windy City Harvest, a partnership between Daley College’s Arturo Velasquez Institute and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
As of April 2020, City Colleges has also been named the highest ranked community college partner on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Top 30 College & University List, which represents the largest green power users among higher education institutions within the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership. City Colleges ranks 27th overall – on a list of more than 160 higher education institutions across the country. Thanks to the procurement of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) backed by 54,429,677 kilowatt-hours of wind power generated, City Colleges of Chicago’s has offset 100% of its annual electrical power.
To learn more about classes and programs at City Colleges of Chicago, please visit www.ccc.edu/studentgps. New students can apply at www.ccc.edu/apply.
