Teaching the teachers is step one in any successful education program, especially one as innovative and rigorous as the Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS). The goal of this award-winning, real-world curriculum is to better prepare high school graduates for college and 21st century careers in engineering, business, technology and energy. The goal of a Ford PAS Professional Development Workshop is to educate the educators on how best to use Ford PAS to help students succeed.

A recent workshop in San Antonio, Texas, focused on the different resources our country is using to generate energy. Teachers were broken up into three groups focused on three sources of renewable energy - solar, water and wind. They were challenged to brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages of each type of energy. They calculated the heat generated by each fuel and conducted lab experiments comparing the relative amounts of energy for each fuel.

Ford PAS encourages teamwork to solve real-world problems and helps students develop the skills necessary to perform in the workplace. Following their classroom exercise in renewable resources, the educators toured Pearl Brewery, a warehouse renovation project and learning laboratory for energy efficiency. The project features the largest solar energy installation in Texas, according to CPS Energy and Silver Ventures, which is currently renovating the historic brewery site in an adaptive re-use project.

"These workshops provide a tremendous learning experience for educators," said Cheryl Carrier, program manager, Ford PAS. "They reinforce what is learned in the classroom and demonstrate how Ford PAS can spark student interest in a possible future career in energy, engineering or business."

Ford PAS programs are currently operating in more than 600 schools in 27 states.

Nationwide, more than 100,000 students have developed skills using Ford PAS.