NEWS for immediate release
Contact: RaJean Strube Fossen, Green Construction Coordinator, (307) 856-2028
March 21, 2011
(Riverton) – Thanks to a local partnership, Riverton will soon be the site of an innovative energy efficient duplex project containing a residence and a working model for students learning about sustainable construction techniques and materials.
The Fremont County Board of Cooperative Education Services received land for the project from Fremont County School District 25. The parcel, at 429 So. Broadway, sits across the street from the former site of the Jefferson School. The former school site is now the home of the Riverton Volunteer Fire Department’s Station No. 1.
“We were looking for a parcel so students in the Green Construction Program could gain hands-on experience on an actual project,” said RaJean Strube Fossen, the Green Construction Academy Coordinator for FC BOCES. “District 25 saw the value of the project and the opportunities for students so we got together and we’ll start construction this summer.” She said the project is slated for completion in 2012. “This project is what we call ‘smart building’ that will utilize not only sustainable materials and construction techniques, but we’ll end up with a very efficient home with reduced energy costs to operate,” she said.
Fossen, and Green Construction instructor Dave Peschio of Riverton are two of only three Leadership for Energy Efficient Design, or LEED, certified Green Associates in Fremont County. The project will utilize curriculum from the National Center for Construction Education and Research, which has certified FC BOCES as a provider. Students who complete the course also receive certification from NCCER, which will give them an additional credential when they go to seek employment at the end of the project.
When completed, the duplex will be one of the first LEED certified residential units in Fremont County, if not the first. One of the duplex units will be sold and the other side will be used as a training center for instruction classes in sustainable construction, weatherization and home energy audits.
A benefit for students who qualify for the summer Green Construction Academy to work on the project is that they not only receive course credit, but they will also be paid for the work they do. The Green Construction Academy is for students aged 16 to 21 who meet eligibility requirements.
Fossen said the program is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is being conducted with the support of many local partners, including Riverton High School, AD Martin Lumber Company, Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, The Arapahoe Workforce Center, the Eastern Shoshone 477 Program and the McMurray Training Center in Casper.
For information, contact FC BOCES at 307-856-2028 or on the Internet, https://www.fcboces.org/ and click on Green Construction Academy on the left side bar.
