Oregon Sustainability Experience awards scholarships, starts invitation program

The Oregon Sustainability Experience announced this week the selection of six scholarships and a new program for Oregon businesses.

Designed as a five-day class and tour of Oregon’s sustainability highlights, The Oregon Sustainability Experience worked with funding partners including Oregon’s economic development department and a handful of foundations to offer scholarships to six sustainability professionals that will cover the $3,900 full tuition cost.

In addition, officials announced “The Oregon Invitation Program” designed to entice Oregon businesses to invite out-of-state participants to come for the five-day course at the discounted price of $1,000.

“Giving Oregon businesses the opportunity to show others what Oregon is doing will have a direct impact on their business development and on economic development for Oregon,” said Susan Bragdon, director of the program, in a press release.

Businesses already signed up for the invitation program include Skanska, Green Building Services, Portland State University and Oregon State University.

The Oregon Sustainability Experience, billed as a “five-day professional field trip,” takes place July 19-23. It offers two tracks, one in sustainable agriculture and one in urban sustainability.