New Projects/Grants:
Digital Media and Green Technology
Digital Media Summer Institute An Inspiring Success
The CTE Community Collaborative Digital Arts & Media grant at SRJC sponsored 22 high school juniors and seniors from nine Sonoma County high schools to attend a Digital Media Summer Institute, which was held on the Petaluma Campus. Instructors Jeff Diamond, Mike Starkey, and James Stewart compressed a full-semester Introduction to Digital Media course into four weeks, covering interactive Web design, video production, audio production, and video game design and programming. The program concluded with an evening presentation showcasing interactive digital media presentations created by the students and displayed on the Web. Students also participated in a daylong field trip to Electronic Arts, the premier game design company in the industry, for a tour of the campus and presentations from the Art Director and Audio Director. Examples from our talented group of student Web sites can be viewed via the links below. Use all except the Home button in the navigation bar on their pages to access their projects
http://student.santarosa.edu/~adegrazi/fp.html
http://student.santarosa.edu/~mdibs/fp.html
http://student.santarosa.edu/~klamke/fp.html
Students were overwhelmingly positive about the Summer Institute and the software programs they learned to use. The Institute did exactly what was needed: “I now want to take classes in Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Premiere, and 3D Studio Max.” Another student commented, “I want to be well rounded and knowledgeable in many areas of digital media, and this course has helped tremendously with that.” This comment summed up the Summer Institute’s impact: “Simply put, it has been one of the most productive summers I have ever had. I am really excited to go back to the JC.”
We were pleased to learn, through a student survey, that 74 percent of the students will definitely or possibly enroll in digital media courses this fall and 80 percent will definitely enroll in a future semester. The Digital Media Summer Institute course provided students with entry-level course credit required for all of the new digital media certificate programs currently under development. We look forward to watching students as they pursue their educational goals at SRJC, and we expect great things in the future from the talented young people who participated in our inaugural Digital Media Summer Institute.
Green Technologies Grant
The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office awarded SRJC a grant for $134,718, with an additional $53,400 to the Sonoma County Office of Education. The grant, which extends through June 2010, enables SRJC and several partner high schools to realign the construction management curriculum and add a sustainable component in response to current industry practices and new state and local green building requirements. The grant funds coordination and professional development, and allows Sonoma County middle schools to expand their career exploration programs.
At SRJC, grant activities will include research and curriculum development in green construction technologies, such as photovoltaic and solar thermal, energy audits, and sustainable practices. CTE Grant Manager for our portion of the grant Debra Sands-Miller says, “SRJC will collaborate with industry, education, and community partners to develop new courses and instructional programs in Solar Technologies, Construction Management integrating sustainable building and management practices, and Home Energy Audit and Energy Performance.”
Recently hired Project Coordinator Joe Kennedy will coordinate research activities and the subcommittees charged with advising on labor market needs and program content. He will also lead outreach efforts to industry, education and community partners. Mr. Kennedy brings extensive experience with green building, ecological design, and sustainable communities as well as experience teaching and creating curriculum for academic and workshop settings. His community involvement in Sonoma County and the greater North Bay Area, as well as his strong working relationships with local and national sustainability leaders, educators, designers, builders, and local government officials, will enable him to build partnerships that support the grant project and connect the project with broader community initiatives. For more information about this grant, call Debra Sands-Miller at 522-2782.