The National Science Foundation has awarded an $810,000 grant to Holyoke Community College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Hampshire College.
The grant has been created for programs that collaborates clean energy studies with sustainable agriculture and to share new resources that will benefit students.
The main purpose of the grant is to adapt what has for the most part historically been two separate sides of sustainability education – clean energy and agriculture, said Kate Maiolatesi, coordinator, HCC’s Sustainability Studies program, who wrote the grant.
A large share of the grant will go for the development of cross-campus courses that unite existing programs at clean energy at HCC, sustainable agriculture at Hampshire and UMass.
The first of these joint courses are expected to begin next summer. Students from all three campuses will join at HCC to learn about clean energy and then they will go to UMass and Hampshire for the agriculture part.
The joint programs will open a new track for Hampshire, UMass and HCC students who want to continue their studies in clean energy and sustainable agriculture.
HCC offers associate degree programs in Sustainability Studies, Sustainable Agriculture and Clean Energy, as well as certificate programs in Sustainability Studies, Clean Energy, Solar Energy, Wind Energy and Geothermal Energy.
Another large portion of the grant will be used for a solar powered micro-farm greenhouse demonstration and training facility at UMass and a movable greenhouse and mobile refrigeration unit at Hampshire for students.
Students will build the greenhouses and also convert an old diesel tractor into one powered by solar energy.
HCC will get a solar powered electric fence, composting and irrigation equipment for its sustainability and permaculture gardens and a small wind turbine.
Money from the grant will also be used to pay stipends to students who want to do summer internships.
Sabeena Wahid
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