Integrating Weather Data, Climate Science, and Sustainability to Engage a Diverse Community and Train a Future Green Workforce at the Alamo Colleges District

The Alamo Colleges District (ACD) is a network of five community colleges serving San Antonio, Texas, and surrounding areas. It has a diverse student population of approximately 60,000 and includes Minority Serving Institutions. This presentation will discuss how ACD is successfully incorporating climate science and sustainability-related projects to engage students and the community while preparing them in weather data and climate change.

ACD plans to convert an old trailer into a Mobile Weather Station that will be used as a STEM classroom to prepare students in weather data and its local applicability during a changing climate impacting San Antonio at a local level. The trailer will become a tool to promote meteorology, drive to communities, and educate middle and high school students about the complexities of climate science. This educational outreach tool will have meteorological equipment and work stations to promote interactive experiences.

ACD is also training a green workforce with sustainability-related courses, certificates and degrees such as Environmental Science Lectures at San Antonio College, Wind Power Generation, Wind Turbine Troubleshooting, Photovoltaics Technical Sales and Solar Photovoltaics Systems at St. Philip’s College, and Wastewater Minimization and Pollution Prevention and Waste Water Treatment at Northwest Vista College. These courses are provided toward accredited certificates and degrees, as well as Marketable Skills Achievement Awards. A 400-kW PV system installed at St. Philip’s College Southwest Campus provides training in solar panel installation and maintenance. A small wind turbine is also installed nearby for wind turbine troubleshooting training. Eco Centro and Scobee Education Center in San Antonio College have solar panels on their rooftops connected to screens that display energy production and consumption as an interactive educational experience.

William R. Sinkin Eco Centro, ACD’s community outreach center for environmental sustainability, offers hands-on experience in green infrastructure. Students have worked on a solar hydroponic project to demonstrate vertical agriculture, and on the refurbishment of a shipping container for food production in a controlled atmosphere. Also, Palo Alto College and San Antonio College support EcoExchangeEdu, where students from South Texas share sustainability-related ideas with the community.