Funds sought for joint campus focused on green jobs

Funds sought for joint campus focused on green jobs(via Scott Wong - The Arizona Republic)Mayor Phil Gordon is seeking federal stimulus money for a joint community

college and charter high-school campus in downtown Phoenix focused on

training students for green jobs.Gordon made his case this week during a conference call with Vice President

Joe Biden and other local officials from around the country to discuss how

the disbursement of stimulus funds is working for cities and counties.And last week, the mayor and Linda Thor, president of Rio Salado College,

pitched the campus proposal to top officials in the U.S. Energy and

Education departments during a trip to Washington.The Green Phoenix Learning Campus, part of the mayor's green initiative,

would sit on the 2 1/2-acre site of the Rio Salado Adult Learning Center,

now housed in temporary trailers and dated buildings at the corner of

Seventh Avenue and Fillmore Street.The school, which could open by fall 2010 if funding is available, would

offer curriculum focused on green architecture and construction, renewable

energy, alternative fuels and environmental sciences.The concept sprouted earlier this year shortly after Gordon rolled out his

"Green Phoenix" plan to make the city an environmental leader.Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor Rufus Glasper approached the mayor,

Thor said, and suggested the college system's downtown Rio Salado site

might provide an opportunity for the city to realize some of its green

education goals."We're very early," Thor said. "But it's also a very exciting time for us

to expand the services that we're already providing to that community and

also support the mayor's bigger vision."Rio Salado already has allocated up to $4 million for new construction at

the site, though it's unclear how much stimulus money would be needed to

make the green project a reality. Phoenix and Rio Salado will be applying

for competitive stimulus grants from several federal departments in the

coming weeks."We're getting serious about it," said Bill Scheel, a senior aide to

Gordon. "We have a real project here."To find out about the latest green jobs in your town please click here