Help the recognition of green accomplishments in our region grow stronger - nominate someone for an Active Living Award or a Heroes of a the Planet Award!     

Trailnet is accepting applications for its Active Living Awards through August 5, 2011. Active Living awards celebrate Individuals, Nonprofits, Municipalities, and Businesses who are engaged in unique and sustainable efforts to incorporate physical activity in everyday living. The Awards program will be September 20, 2011. Learn more or nominate someone here!  

The St. Louis Business Journal has extended the deadline from August 5 to August 12 for its fourth annual Heroes of the Planet Awards. These awards honor businesses that have outperformed their industry in promoting and advancing environmental sustainability within our region. Nomination categories include: Sustainable Visionary; Sustainable Alliances; Sustainable Community; Sustainable Employee Programs; Giving Green; Sustainable Operations;  

and Sustainable Products.  

Honorees will be recognized at an awards dinner on October 27. Learn more or nominate someone here!  

Looking for new learning opportunities this fall? Check out the new courses offered by St. Louis Community College!

Sustainable Environmental Design Courses     

Beginning this fall, St. Louis Community College is offering classes in sustainable environmental design with options in interior design, architecture and landscaping. The classes are designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to work in the rapidly growing field of sustainable environmental design. This course of study will prepare students to apply for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Associate exam.

Courses are grant funded and will be offered tuition-free for qualified individuals enrolled in the first two groups. Learn more or register on line at www.stlcc.edu/environmentaldesign or call 314-984-7156.   

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Greenhouse Gas Inventory: The Future is Now!   

Students will gain direct experience working on an environmental challenge that discriminates against all borders and cultures-climate change. Students will work on a Greenhouse Gas inventory for the County of St. Louis. This will be done collaboratively with classmates and County officials to gather and crunch data, as well recommend carbon reduction strategies to Government Officials. Students, corporate and government leaders interested in sustainability as well as anyone interested in building skills for a green career will find this class of value. Excel experience highly recommended.  

WHEN: Thursday evenings beginning August 25, 2011, 6:00 PM - 8:15 PM, 16-week course

WHERE: St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley Campus - Business Building Room 216   

To Register for the non-credit option, go here. To register for the credit option or for more information, please contact Peggy Moody at 314-539-5013.  

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Selling Solar PV Systems

Learn all the basics needed to be an effective solar salesperson. Course designed to prepare students to sit for the NABCEP Certified Solar PV Sales Exam, but the in-depth overview of solar will be beneficial to a wide audience.

WHEN: Tuesday evenings August 23 - December 6, 2011, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

WHERE: St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley Campus - Business Administration Building Room 244

Learn or register here. 

  by Emily Andrews, LEED AP O+M and  

 USGBC-Missouri Gateway Executive Director

I took the LEED AP exam before things changed - before there was a LEED Green Associate credential and before you had to have experience on a LEED project to be eligible for a LEED AP exam. You can bet that I opted into to the Credential Maintenance Program when it kicked off two years ago. I may never be eligible to take the LEED AP exam since I don't work on LEED projects. Plus the Credential Maintenance program keeps me up-to-date on the LEED rating system and green building technologies.

I just submitted the continuing education hours to renew my LEED Credential and I'd love to share a few tips from my experience:

• Take some time to learn how GBCI's Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) works & take advantage of the resources they offer. 
• Organize your hours before you start submitting.  
• Save everything - Certificates of Attendance, e-mails about events you attended, conference programs, etc.  
• Attend USGBC-MO Gateway programs! I earned over half of the 30 required CEs from attending Chapter programs, including my 6 LEED specific CEs.  

And if you're looking for additional GBCI CE Hours before your reporting deadline (note that the reporting deadline is different depending on when you opted in), check out the following ideas.

• Volunteer Committee Participation - earn up to 4 CE hours per reporting period for participating in a Chapter committee.  
• Upcoming Chapter Programs and Events - see what we have on our schedule. 
• Self-Study - earn up to 5 hours per reporting period for independent review of material relevant to green building or LEED. Many building industry and green building publications offer CE hours through self-study - often for free!  
• Live Presentations. Do you attend other building-related educational programs or lectures? They may qualify for GBCI CE's.  
• Environmental Building News offers on-line Continuing Education for free to EBN members and subscribers. 

USGBC is seeking applications for its Classroom to Board Room Diversity Mentoring program. In this program, members of the national USGBC Board of Directors provide highly individualized executive-level mentoring to undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. This Board initiative works to promote green building and sustainability in underserved communities. For the 2011-2012 program year, 11 slots are open to qualified students. Preference will be given to those who attend institutions primarily serving under-represented communities, such as community colleges and minority serving institutions.

Our own Punit Jain serves on the national USGBC Board of Directors (as well as the USGBC-MO Gateway Board), so students in their last two semesters of an associate's or undergraduate program attending schools within 60 miles of St. Louis are eligible.  

Learn more at the Center for Green Schools.