APA-IL News BLAST! More online education opportunities for planning professionals

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November/December Illinois Planning News, Edition 88 Paula Freeze, Editor

	More Online Education Opportunities for Planning Professionals by Paula Freeze, APA-IL Editor

	In our last newsletter, we highlighted Ohio State's Planning Education at a Distance program. What many of you may not know, is that there are several other educational opportunities for planning professionals. Those searching for Certification Maintenance (CM) credits and are short on time and money may find this list particularly useful. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University offers the Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program. The program is directed towards those that work in the urban planning, community & economic development, public or social policy and related fields. They offer internet based courses in community and economic development, leadership and management, planning law and legal issues, smart growth and sustainable development, and urban design and placemaking. The cost for each course ranges from $260-$50 (depending on the discounts/scholarships you are eligible for). At this time, the program is awaiting their Certification Maintenance (CM) provider certification. In the past, each course in this program has received 14 continuing education credits. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Open-CourseWare is a free publication of course materials used at MIT. It is not an education but a FREE opportunity to benefit from the knowledge at a world class institution (did I mention it was FREE). "Educators around the world are extracting pedagogy, ideas and teaching tools from the MIT course materials -- including syllabi, course notes, assignments, problem sets and lab notes -- to fine-tune their own offerings at their home universities." There are materials from 134 courses at the Urban Studies and Planning Department. Think of this as a textbook on your shelf! "Planetizen offers a variety of courses covering planning-related topics and taught by experts in the field. These self-paced courses are designed for professionals looking for quick yet thorough introductions to concepts relevant to their work, yet may also be useful for current students, concerned citizens, or other professionals in other fields interested in learning more about urban planning. Selected courses will be eligible to provide credits for the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification Maintenance program." The Lincoln Institute for Land Use Policy offers an online education program as well as other conferences and seminars. Many of their courses have been approved by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) for continuing education and professional development credits. The University of Illinois at Chicago Great Cities Institute offers a variety of online programs and courses including program planning & evaluation, plan commissioner training, leadership ethics, an online certificate in nonprofit management and mastering grant writing. These programs and courses are designed for working professionals looking to improve their skills. The online certificate in nonprofit management offers those in nonprofit management and those looking to make a career change to the nonproft sector a chance to polish up their practical skills. ESRI Training and Education Virtual Campus offers self-paced training over the Internet. Courses range in price from FREE - $225. Topics include how to plan for a GIS system in your office to spatial statistics. and "Some Web courses include downloadable trial editions of ESRI software, and many offer the first learning module free of charge." If you're looking to earn some CM credits, another great source is APA's list of upcoming CM events or APA's list of registered providers. You must be an AICP member in order to view the list.

	Paula Freeze APA-IL Editor editor@ilapa.org