Last month, Oswego State announced it was bidding out a project to build a wind turbine at its Lee Hall heating plant.

Other schools are making similar moves and combining the windmill construction with class projects to train a new generation of green engineers.

In a state that ranks among the nation's leaders in the use of wind energy, the University of Iowa is making a push to prepare students for a greener workforce.  Michael Carbone is studying mechanical engineering at the university. He's spending his summer helping install a 37 foot wind turbine, the first of its kind at the University of Iowa. The turbine provides a small amount of power, only enough to service a single household, but it's expected to have a strong impact on a student's ability to find work in their field. 

Carbone will be one of about 75 students each year that will gain hands on experience with the turbine as part of a core class.  They will be analyzing data and posting results on a website for others to follow. 

The turbine is the latest addition to the University's green energy discovery district, a group of projects dedicated to engaging green technology on campus in an effort to prepare the future workforce to continue to develop a greener planet.