Community Classes

This is a hands-on training workshop focused on the why and how of biochar, the principles, the benefits, and the practice of producing and applying biochar as a soil amendment and environmental remediator. Participants will learn from real experience using the ring-of-fire kiln and the double retort kiln, and improve soil.

Instructor: Dr. Ricardo Vazquez-Perales

Potential participants: Students, farmers, landscape practitioners, environmental restorators, and anyone interested.

Total hours: 8

Cost: $78.00

Date: August 20th. Theory and practice.

Location: Kelly-151

Min. of 10 people/Max of 15 people (If we don’t get a 10-person minimum, the course will be cancelled.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, students and participants will be able to:

• Understand what biochar is and why it is a key soil amendment and environmental remediator.
• Differentiate and select biochar kilns based on their technical features and users’ needs.
• Learn the principles of applying biochar to the soil.
• Gain hands-on experience assembling and operating the ring of fire kiln and the double retort kiln.
• Practice harvesting biochar and preparing it for soil application.
• Practice applying biochar to improve soil health.

Western’s certified nurse aide (CNA) course will provide students with the skillset and credentials needed to complete the state-mandated written and skills test. Testing is not included in the course and must be completed within 24 months of course completion to obtain state licensure as a CNA.

Those eligible for CNA courses at Western:
1. High School Students for Credit
2. Community Members and College Students for Credit
3. Community Members and College Students without Credit

The CNA course has a maximum capacity of 10 students. The first 10 registrants will be offered a spot in the course. Any subsequent registrants will be placed on a waitlist and contacted in order of their registration submission, assuming a spot opens up.

Time Commitment and Location: September 16, 2025-November 18, 2025
This is a 10-week course. In-person skills sessions will be hosted at the Gunnison High School Pathways building ( 600 N. 8th Street, Gunnison, CO 81230) on Tuesdays from 2 to 6 p.m. All students will meet in person for skills training on the first and last day of class. For the Tuesdays in between, students will be assigned to one of two groups, and each group will attend a skills lab every other week on an alternating schedule.

Details about group assignments and meeting dates will be discussed during the first class meeting. Clinical rotation experiences will be held over three different weekends. The course instructor will collaborate with students to assign specific rotation dates and times after the course begins.

All clinical rotation experiences will be hosted at the current Senior Care Center (1500 W. Tomichi Ave. Gunnison, CO 81230). To inquire about specific course date ranges, please email CNA@western.edu.

Tuition and Fee Structure

• • High School Student: $300 3-credit tuition + $700 in fees = $1,000 Total – $500 billed to HS, $100 billed to student, and $400 covered by scholarship
  • Credit Seeking College Student/Community Member: $540 3-credit tuition + $700 in fees=$1,240 Total – $248 billed to student and $992 covered by scholarship
  • Non-Credit Seeking College Student/Community Member: $750 Total in fees – $150 billed to student and $600 covered by scholarship.

Tuition and fees must be paid in full one-week prior to the start of the course. Students that withdraw before the course begins will be reimbursed 50% of their tuition and fees. Once the course has commenced, students who withdraw or are dismissed from the course will not be offered any reimbursement of tuition or fees. Grades for students who are dismissed or withdraw from the course will be reviewed on an individual basis.

In addition to the application information, participants enrolling in the course will need to email the following four items to CNA@western.edu to start the course:

1. Photo-copy of a passport or state-issued ID
2. 2-step TB skin test results (test must have been completed in the last 9 months)
3. Immunization record including documentation of a current flu shot, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and Hep B
4. Scrub size (scrubs will be unisex in fit and are available in sizes ranging from X-small to XX-Large)

Additional Requirements
Prior to the beginning of the course, all participants will need to complete a background check through Castle Branch. Students are responsible for paying for their own background check. Individuals under the age of 18 years old will be charged $47. Those 18 years or older will be charged $61. Necessary information and billing for the background check will be managed directly by Castle Branch. Once enrolled you will be emailed directions on how to complete your background check.

• • Testing to verify drug-free status is not required for course enrollment; however, course participants may be asked at any time during the progression of the course to complete a drug test. Drug testing must be completed by a verified lab and payment for drug testing will be the student’s responsibility.
  • English Proficiency in Reading and Writing is Required.

Payment for the course will be collected by close of business one week before the course commences. Students who do NOT pay by this deadline will be disenrolled from the course.

Questions on billing? Contact the Center for Learning & Innovation at 970.943.2885 or email at Center@western.edu.

Questions about the course? Contact cna@western.edu.

This course will help you crack the code for leading groups that face uncertain and complex challenges. You will learn how to create space for a team to persist in creativity, resourcefulness, and innovation. The course also works to bring business, hospitality, education, and civic leaders together to help make teamwork happen anytime, anywhere.

This Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration (LTPBR) training program, offered by Coldharbour Institute in partnership with the Clark Family School of Environment & Sustainability, is a week-long course designed to equip professionals with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to plan, implement, and monitor restoration projects using a process-based approach. Through a combination of theoretical instruction, hands-on field experience, and case studies, participants will gain a deep understanding of ecological principles, restoration techniques, and adaptive management strategies. Classroom sessions include evening classes (available remotely) and full-day field sessions (in-person attendance required).

• Explain the fundamental ecological processes that drive ecosystem function.
• Identify restoration opportunities & assess degraded ecosystems
• Identify basic restoration approaches that address underlying ecological processes using process-based principles.
• Apply appropriate restoration techniques.
• Apply best practices and evaluate legal and permitting considerations for LTPBR project design.

• An ENVS 397 1-credit undergraduate credit option
• Most course materials and transportation to field sites
• Not included: Students will need to purchase Let the Water Do the Work: Induced Meandering, and Evolving Method for Restoring Incised Channels by Bill Zeedyk and Van Clothier.

Contact Coldharbour

A week-long course, offered by Coldharbour Institute in partnership with the Clark Family School, provides training in identifying and delineating wetlands. The course covers wetland definitions, vegetation, hydric soil, and hydrology across several sessions. Classroom sessions include evening classes (available remotely) and full-day field sessions (in-person attendance required). At the end of this course, students will have accomplished the following objectives:

• Understand Wetland Identification Criteria
• Applying Field Delineation Techniques
• General Understanding of the Ecological Importance and Legal Consequences of Wetland Boundaries

Instructors: Julie Nania, Director of the Coldharbour Institute, and Lynn Cudlip

When:

• September 9 (5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. remote and/or in-person)
• September 11 (5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. remote and/or in-person)
• September 12 (6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. remote and/or in-person)
• September 13th/14th Field Experiences (8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., in-person only)

Where: Field experiences will be in Gunnison, Colorado, in the Upper Gunnison basin. Transportation is provided.

Cost: $350.00 includes:

• An ENVS 397 1-credit undergraduate credit option
• Course materials and transportation to field sites are provided
• Photos, documents, and more