NWIC is partnering with Remote Energy and All Points North Foundation to conduct a new hands-on solar energy technical and vocational training program for students and local solar technicians with the goal of developing a renewable energy workforce among Indigenous communities. The program will include the construction of a “mock” roof on NWIC’s campus and the installation of a 2.4 kW grid direct solar energy system. The “mock” roof installation will, in turn, serve as the hands-on lab for a series of teacher-training courses and, ultimately, workshops and classes for engineering students and Tribal technicians interested in all aspects of solar installations and solar workplace protocols.

In addition, this new solar training program will be central to eventually expanding NWIC’s two-year pre-engineering curriculum into a four-year engineering degree program focused on renewable energy, including Smart Grid and Microgrid technologies − an effort that represents another important step toward the goal of achieving energy sovereignty at Lummi Nation.

For more information: www.nwic.edu