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Connecting Students with Local Environmental Scientists and Engineers
Carolyn Watkins, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
What do students think of as environmental careers?
So many more Environmental Careers…
Environmental Career
Ambassadors
Project Partners:
Why Now?
Ohio’s emphasis on preparing students for STEM careers Enrollment decline in some undergraduate environmental
programs at Ohio colleges and universitiesWave of retirements depleting ranks of professionals in fields
like environmental healthOhio employers indicating qualified applicants harder to find for
technical fields
Target audiences• Middle and high school
students considering four-year colleges
• Students considering two-year technical programs
• Students attending career/technical education centers
• Gifted and International Baccalaureate students
Environmental jobs with high school or two-year degrees
Drinking Water Treatment Plant OperatorCertified pollution control equipment installer
Lab tech
Nature interpreter
How do I find an Ambassador?• 362 environmental professionals have
volunteered as Career Ambassadors in 61 Ohio counties and statewide
• Contact EECO director, your EECO regional director or Ohio EPA for the current list of ambassadors available in your county
What can Ambassadors do?
Make classroom presentationsParticipate in Career Exploration Days
Some ambassadors also…Host field trips
Offer internships and shadowing opportunities Mentor young professionals
OSU Environmental Professionals Network (EPN)
• Helping EECO and Ohio EPA recruit career ambassadors
• Professionals in air quality, environmental health, energy, land use, water, wildlife
http://epn.osu.edu
Who do Ambassadors work for?Large and small businesses
Environmental engineering & consulting firms
UniversitiesState & Federal Agencies
Local Agencies: municipal public utilities, park districts, recycling
offices, soil and water conservation districts, solid waste management
districts
Ambassador fear: I don’t know how to talk to kids!
Toolkits to help make Ambassador presentations
more engaging, hands-on, and age-appropriate
Pre-visit classroom activities aligned with Ohio science standards by grade level
Sample Toolkit: Drinking and Wastewater Treatment
Classroom activities from Healthy Water, Healthy People and U.S. EPA
EnviroScape© Drinking and Wastewater Treatment Plant model and Ground Water Flow model available
for loan in many Ohio counties
Toolkit Lending Library: DVDs on Environmental Occupations
• Environmental Inspector• Water & Wastewater
Treatment Plant Manager• Geologist• Meteorologist• Park Ranger• Biological Scientist
• Solid Waste Manager• Air Quality Manager• Hazardous Waste Manager• Recycling Plant Manager• Urban & Regional Planner• Forester & Conservation
Scientist
Regional Coordinators
• Part-time coordinators linking local environmental professionals with schools and career/tech centers https://eeco.wildapricot.org/about
• career exhibits, toolkits, models and videos for loan
• county lists of ambassadors
Connecting the Dots: Ongoing Career Initiatives StatewideCareer Days at many schools
Company-sponsored programsCompetitions
Career/technical education centers
Career Fairs: “Who Works the River” in Cincinnati
Corporate Career Programs
• SP&L Explorers program, online renewable energy curriculum, hands-on experimentation kits, mentoring program, internships and scholarships
National Engineers Week
Middle school teams’ future cities judged on energy & environmental criteria
www.futurecity.org
Ohio Envirothon Competition
• High school teams tested on forestry, soils, water quality, wildlife, current policy issues
• Sponsored by county Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Career Shadowing ProgramsWayne National Forest, Little Cities of the Forest,
Hocking College School of Natural Resources
High school students shadowing environmental professionals monitoring water quality, building trails, removing invasive species, studying vernal pools & pollinators
Career Shadowing ProgramsCleveland Public Schools, Cleveland State University, Earth Day Coalition
• High school students shadowing environmental professionals researching urban heat islands.
• Students leading anti-idling campaign on school grounds
Connecting the Dots: Sample Grants from theOhio Environmental Education Fund
$49,628 to Collins Career Center (Southeast Ohio)
Students in agri-science, natural resources, carpentry, business &
marketing jointly manage a forest plot and sawmill to document
economic benefits and job opportunities from sustainable
timber harvesting, reforestation, and habitat restoration
Connecting the Dots: OEEF Grants
$14,898 to Miami Valley Career Technology Center
Students produce biodiesel fuel from soybeans; perform
maintenance and diagnostics on diesel school buses, farm and construction equipment using biodiesel; and monitor carbon
emissions and fuel consumption compared to other fuels
Connecting the Dots: OEEF Grants
$18,705 to Penta Career Center (Northwest Ohio)
Equipment for students in grades 11-12 to explore solar,
wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal & fuel cell
technologiesWeek-long STEM summer day camp on Green Energy careers
for students in grades 7-9
Ohio Environmental Education Fund
• Mini grants $500-$5000• General grants up to $50,000• Application deadlines January 15 and July 15• Science supplies, outdoor learning areas,
professional development, environmental careers
• http://epa.ohio.gov/oee/EnvironmentalEducation.aspx
Ohio EPA funds College ScholarshipsEnvironmental Science and Engineering Scholarship
program to help 2nd and 4th year college students finish their degree programs
Online Career Pathwayshttps://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Career-Tech/Career-Connections/Career-Pathways
Ohio Means Jobs K-12 career resources
https://jobseeker.k-12.ohiomeansjobs.monster.com/ExploreIt/k-12-
resources.aspx
Questions?
[email protected]@eeco-online.org
EECO’s Career Ambassador Web page https://eeco.wildapricot.org/eca
