I have participated in all of the Triton sponsored open houses.  In addition, I have attended several High School Open houses; Riverside-Brookfield, D214, Oak Park River Forest HIgh School, Proviso West.

D214 Careers Night flyer

D214 Careers night PPT

D214 Confirmation email

Riverside Brookfield Trades and Career Fair

OPRF Career Exploration Day

Proviso West Career Fair

I was also asked to be a panelist on D214 Sustainability Advisory meeting.  The district is seeking to have a Sustainability Pathway, and they invited Industry Professionals, along with myself, to participate in panel discussions about what Sustainability means.

D214 Sustainability Advisory

Dual Credit partnerships have been created for the Rough and Finish Carpentry programs (COT-106 and COT-206).  The process was started pre-pandemic, and continued through the pandemic.  The following schools are part of this program:

D214 associated High schools.  D214 has a Dual Credit agreement for both COT-106 and COT-206.  They purchase a house within their district that needs work on it, and have the students involved from early design concepts to demolition and then the construction.   I was able to visit the house that they were working on in 2019.

Ridgewood has  a Dual Credit agreement for COT-106.  They approach the project in a different way, building a tiny home on a trailer bed, that is then auctioned off and hauled away with a semi to a location, usually a vacation resort.

Leyden has  a Dual Credit agreement for COT-106.  They have a lab approach similar to Triton's, where students build modules in the classsroom to learn the various stages and techniques used.

D211 associated High schools have a Dual Credit agreement for COT-106.

Since the implementation of Dual Credit, we have seen the numbers in the Carpentry Certificate and the COT AAS degree increase significantly.  We have also attaracted numerous students who reside outside of our boundaries through Dual Credit, as they had no similar programs at their local Community College.

CCCAP is a National Coalition of Community College Architecture Programs.

CCCAP Website

The CCCAP is a professional organization of educators dedicated to promoting the value of architecture programs in community colleges and to providing a pathway into the architectural profession.

The CCCAP empowers educators to enable students in pursuit of their academic and career goals in the field of architecture and the built environment.

Triton has been a charter member of this organization, and participates yearly in the CCCAP National Design Competition with our Design III students.  This is a great experience for the students and gives them practice on submitting for a competition.  Most competitions are open to anyone and the rigor is of a higher standard. By having this just be for 2nd year students it is on a more level playing field.  They are able to look at the winning entries afterwards and learn from that experience also, seeing how others have interpreted the project.  This is yet another way that we are able to give real world experience to the students in the program.

In 2021 I taught Design III and led students in the Competition:

Competition Program for 2021

Submssion A Spring 2021

Submssion B Spring 2021

Members of CCCAP also meet yearly at the AIA Annual Conference.   I was able to meet with several members last Spring.  We shared ideas, concerns, issues and solutions as they relate to Community Colleges and our student bodies.  

During the beginning of the Pandemic, we had weekly meetings to help each other navigate the new territory of working remotely with students in a field where face-to-face interaction and student collaboration is so important.  The group also hosts a Facebook page where more information is shared.

CCCAP Facebook Page

The Architecture and Construction Technology Programs participated in the Family Fun Fest and were happy to return in 2022 after a 4 year hiatus for the fair.

As in the past, we had 2 tables set up.  One table had Lincoln Logs for the kids to build with.  Lincoln logs were designed by John Lloyd Wright (Frank Lloyd Wright's son), and based on the interlocking principles used in the Imperial Hotel floating foundation in Tokyo, Japan.

The other table was Halloween and Day of the Dead mask coloring using Artist grade Prismacolors.

Both activities were immensely popular, and we had several Triton students who assisted with the tables throughout the day.

I was intially contacted in 2020 to participate in a project with SEDAC (Smart Energy Design Assistance Center) at U of I in Champaign.  They were looking to create a series of learning modules to assist Colleges in teaching Energy Code content within their classes.  They have produced a series of modules that Instructors and students can access.  

From the SEDAC BEE Fundamentals website:

Community college and trade programs are responsible for training the next generation of building professionals to design, construct, repair, and operate the buildings of the future. There is growing demand for skilled laborers who know how to make buildings energy efficient to save energy and reduce operating costs. Today’s professionals need training on energy efficiency best practices and how to meet energy code requirements for new and existing buildings. Join us for an exciting opportunity to bring energy efficiency basics to your students! 

At the initial Interview, it was clear that Triton is already implementing many of these ideas into the current classes.  Sustainability and Energy Conservation, Efficiency and Awareness have been an integral, imbedded part of our curriculum.  

Portions of the modules provided at the end of the development process have already been incorporated into presentations for some of the Curriculum, particuarly COT-107, ARC-108, ARC-110 and ARC-220.

BEE Fundamentals Website

BEE Fundamentals Interview Request

BEE Fundamentals Stakeholders meeting

BEE Fundamentals Video Interview Request

BEE Fundamentals Launch invite

I was asked to participate in a Program of Study for Energy Efficiency in January 2022.  Our facilitator was Debra Rowe.  We met virtually every month through June and shared ideas, syllabus, curriculum and PPT's with other Community College Faculty in Illinois.  The result was a list of resources that we shared with one another to use in our classrooms.  It also gave us a network of individuals doing similar programs related to Energy Efficiency in the Illinois Community College System.

IGEN Faculty Study Program Correspondence

IGEN Faculty Professional Development Final Resources List

IGEN Faculty Shared Curricula

After a long hiatus, the Architecture summer camp was brought back in June 2022.  We had 12 students in the camp, and they worked in the Architecture studio on a project, learned about famous Chicago Architects, learned how to draw using the correct tools, built a model of their project, and took the Chicago Architecture river boat tour as a group.  The week culminated with an open house for the parents and presentations of their projects.

We also hosted a Carpentry Camp in June 2022.  The students enjoyed working on real projects and building.

We are already preparing for the Summer 2023 Architecture Camp and a new Renewable Energy Camp!

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The Architecture Department participated in all of the Boy Scout Merit badge days prior to Covid.  We helped the students complete their Architecture Merit Badge.  Hosting this badge in the Architecture Studio allowed the students to see what a College Architecture space looked like. We actually used the drafting tables as we measured a classroom, and they then used the drafting tables and equipment to draw it.

BSA Architecture Merit Badge Presentation

In 2022, as the program recommenced, we chose to help the students with the Sustainability Merit Badge.  Since Sustainability is embedded in all of our Curriculum, this was a natural fit.  We chose to have the Merit Badge day in T-160, the Renewable Energy Classroom, as we had great visuals there to address the issues surrounding Sustainability.

BSA Sustainability Merit Badge Presentation

CEJA is the Clean Energy Jobs Act.  The following Description is from their website:

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA, P.A. 102-0662) was signed into law by Governor Pritzker on September 15, 2021.  CEJA is comprehensive energy legislation that

• Incentivizes renewable energy development;

• Accelerates electric vehicle (EV) adoption and expands charging station infrastructure; 

• Creates statewide clean energy workforce training programs to ensure our workforce is prepared for the jobs of the future; and, 

• Supports communities facing energy transitions and much more. 

I have been asked to participate in a listening session and to give feedback on the program.

CEJA Website

CEJA Meeting Invite

I have joined the AIA as an Associate Educator Member.  In June 2022, I was able to attend the National Conference in Chicago.  This allowed me to make connections with various vendors that can assist with demonstration examples for our programs.  In addition, I was able to also attend seminars related to various topics in the built environemnt.  As a member, I have access to local meetings and events.

AIA Membership 

AIA Website

I have recently joined the Chicago Women in Architecture group.  This will be a great venue to make connections professionally and for potential future Instructors in the programs.

Chicago Women in Architecture Website

PNNL hosted a seminar to  discuss the Internships available to STEM students.  They are particularly interested in engaging minority students and Community College students.

PNNL Information Session on Internships for Community Colleges

The Frank Lloyd Trust is planning a new Visitor's Center.  This was a presentation and community input event that I was asked to attend.  The hope is that the Education Center portion will provide opportunities for Triton students as well.

Frank Lloyd Wright Trust meeting on New Visitors Center

I was on the Save the Hill Motor Building in 2019-2020, a historic site in Oak Park that has since been torn down for a new grocery store.  This group was comprised of Architects, planners, concerned citizens.  We met weekly to give the owner solutions to using adaptive reuse for the building.

The-case-for-preserving-the-hill-motor-showroom