Green Technology Program

Bergenfield Public Schools and Bergen County Vocational Technical Schools have designed a shared-time pilot program at Bergenfield High School geared toward identifying Students who would benefit from an innovative approach that integrates real-world, hands-on project work (Green Tech experience) with academic instruction. The themes of green technology, current environmental issues, and sustainable design are to be used as the foundation for the instructional process.

Students in this interdisciplinary program would have their science, social studies, and a career and technical lab integrated together during 3 class periods daily. As part of this experience, students will work on real-world projects such as designing and constructing new energy-efficient devices such as solar powered vehicles, state-of-the-art water purifiers, and sustainable agriculture systems. Concepts taught in both the academic and Green Tech classrooms will provide students with the necessary background to apply what they learn in these types of projects.

Four Year Course Sequence

The four year program integrates real world design challenges into technical content that motivates students to design and create a sustainable future. Students will gain the basic knowledge of design principles similar to that of a standard pre-engineering program. However, the continuous theme of sustainability will guide students through design challenges in energy/transportation, materials technology, and environmental management.

Year One

Fundamentals of Sustainable Engineering and Technology

This course aims to introduce students to the beliefs, philosophies, and scientific principles that support a more sustainable world. Through project-based learning experiences, students develop their basic understanding of the world around them with particular interest in how we use energy, materials, and resources to design, build, and power our world. Initial explorations focus on their connections to the natural world and the extent to which human activity impacts it. Building on these concepts, students design and build a model that embraces the science, ethics and efficiency standards that correspond with sustainable practices to demonstrate a means to mitigate human impacts.

Year Two

Solar/Environmental Resource

Students will learn the basics of engineering design and begin creating sketches and documentation. This course serves as an introduction to the basics of CAD using Google Sketchup. This course will allow students to utilize the design process to compete to make a solar cooker, solar powered race car, design and build a solar panel, and design an off-grid PV system. This course fulfills the state requirement for one credit in career education required for graduation.

Year Three

Fundamentals of Wind and Water

This course aims to introduce students to other forms of alternative energy as well as the global water crisis. The students are first engaged in a collaborative effort to research solutions, identify constraints and criteria, develop a plan/approach, document, draft, prototype, evaluate, refine, create, implement and present the best wind turbine for a proposed application. The students are then introduced to the importance of water in our world and will explore water-based issues. Building on these concepts, the students will design and build a water filtration device and a hydropower project. This course fulfills the state requirement for one credit in career education required for graduation.

Year Four

Senior Design Capstone Project

The Senior Capstone Design Project is designed to engage students in an individualized learning program that builds upon their technical, academic, aesthetic, and professional abilities. The students will research and choose an area of interest and be assessed on 16 their ability to design, create, implement (engage the community), monitor, and evaluate a product or a process that improves sustainability and/or energy efficiency. The result will be an original, useful project that focuses on a specific area of interest. In addition, this course will be a dual credit course with Stockton College. The curriculum for Stockton’s Introduction to Sustainability course will be followed. Students will have the option of taking this course through Stockton College to potentially receive 4 college credits.

All Green Technology courses will be delivered in a “state of the art” classroom complete with renewable energy demonstrators that will allow students to design, build, and test systems that utilize solar, wind, hydro, and biofuel power.

Elective Course

Engineering Course

The CTE Engineering Course is designed for students in grades 10-12 that are interested in the Green Technology Program, but who may or may not be able to complete a multi-year course. This course is hands-on, project-based and engineering design process intensive. Students will develop a basic understanding of the world around them with particular interest in how we use energy, materials, and resources to design, build, and power our world. Initial explorations focus on their connections to the natural world and the extent to which human activity impacts it. Building on these concepts, students design and build a model that embraces the science, ethics and efficiency standards that correspond with sustainable practices to demonstrate a means to mitigate human impacts. If the student decides that they would like to continue on with the program after completing the Engineering Course, they may use this course to count towards the Year One or Year Two curriculum and move on to Year Two or Year Three.

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