Last April, a group of environmentally minded Pittsburgh organizations that had been planning an office and research campus that will be the center of all things “green” received a $50,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments.  The grant went to further study the need for the campus and continue formulating its scope, developing a business plan and selecting a location.

The campus project, called Pittsburgh Green Innovators: Environmental Living, Learning and Earning Collaborative, would house an array of green-related activities, such as a training program for operating engineers and technicians who work on green buildings and systems, an incubator for green startup companies, a product demonstration and testing facility and an educational facility for K-12 students to learn about the environment, science, math, engineering and technology.

The goal of the collaborative was to bring together in one place the green leaders in academia, industry and labor who can together work to turn Pittsburgh into a leader in emerging green technology markets and concurrently prepare a green-trained work force.

A year later, Senator Jim Ferlo’s office has announced the 2009 schedule for Pittsburgh Green Innovators.  For more information, contact Sen. Ferlo’s office at 412.621.3006 or email pittsburghgreeninnovators@gmail.com.