This curriculum is highly interdisciplinary and as a result is influenced by a combination of education and industry standards. The individual lesson plans feature a variety of educational standards including the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Career and Work, the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Science and Technology and Engineering Education, and the nationally recognized Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
In addition to the academic standards, the curriculum is also grounded in industry standards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) safety standards are a critical feature of the program of study and are integrated throughout the three year course of study. The OSHA10 certification program is compatible with the curriculum; students in the program greatly benefit from adding this certification as a supplemental offering during the second year of the program. This curriculum is also structured so that upon completion of the three-year program students are prepared to take the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners’ (NABCEP) Photovoltaic (PV) Associate exam. This nationally recognized credential aids in students’ marketability in the solar industry workforce.
It is recommended that any school sponsoring this program includes a formal OSHA10 training component that leads to a nationally recognized credential in addition to the safety lessons already included in the curriculum. This training is appropriate at the beginning of the Year 2 during the first quarter. During our pilot phase of the project, the School District of Philadelphia selected an OSHA10 General Industry – Manufacturing online training program offered by https://www.careersafeonline.com/.
