Sustainable Academy of Building & Engineering
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SABE's Open House Video
Under what the school calls the Sustainable Academy of Building & Engineering course sequence, which teachers here refer to as the SABE program, the 70 or so students enrolled in the effort take English, Earth science, geometry, algebra, world history, woodworking, literature and green technology classes that are interrelated with the projects they create. For example, students making furniture use algebra and geometry in their design work and English in writing up a project proposal. World history lessons would be incorporated into researching the evolution of tables, chairs and cabinets.
No longer are science, geometry, history, and English being treated as separate subjects. Instead, they are woven into a cutting-edge industrial arts program based in a new, ultra-modern shop building that is the most technologically advanced in the San Diego Unified School District.
Read more in the April issue @ City Heights Life
The 5,700-square-foot, Green Construction Technology Building on the western edge of the campus was dedicated Feb. 29. It is the first in the district to secure the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification by the Green Building Certification Institute, said Greg Quirin, program specialist with the San Diego Unified School District's Office of College, Career & Technical Education. The designation means the facility's design, which includes ample natural lighting and the use of solar energy, met construction standards for sustainable design and green building strategies.
"Students who enroll in the academy can take classes in general contracting and construction, architecture and engineering and fine woodwork. As many as 200 students can enroll in the academy and can receive high school and community college credit from some courses. Karen Aguilar, a math resource teacher who is director of the academy, said students will be able to do mentorships, job shadowing and field trips to job sites. The goal is to provide something students can connect to their classroom learning to help them stay connected to school, Aguilar said.
"It is always more interesting to learn about a field when you can see real examples of it," Aguilar said. "It makes it so much more engaging than if it is just out of the book."
Read more in a February issue @ UT San Diego
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