A New Energy-Centered Curriculum for Community College Students

For many years, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory's (PPPL) science education program has run ``Energy in the 21$^{st}$ Century'' workshops for K-12 teachers and students. These workshops have focused on non fossil fuel sources of energy including solar, hydrogen fuel cells, and fusion. A new program was recently started at a local community college focusing on these same topics. In the first year, new labs will be woven into the existing physics curriculum. These labs explore advantages and disadvantages of each energy source. The goals of the program include increasing students' interest in science with the expectation that they will pursue higher education at a four year college and beyond. In future years, this program will be expanded to include other topics throughout the existing curriculum. This is just the start of expanding the level of education offered at the local community college.