Fifty-year-old Nikki Jackson of Denver, who hasn’t held a full-time position in three years, is in the process of applying for the Sustainable Practices Program. She thinks it would put her ahead professionally and have a domino effect on the Colorado job market.

“As somebody who’s in the position of many people—middle-aged and having to recreate themselves in this economy—enhancing my sustainability expertise at CU would give me more than an edge. It would make me credible,” said Jackson. “The program would help me not only to create my own job but also to create many jobs for others.”

Jackson is launching a communications firm called Sustainable Storytelling. The move comes after years of work in television news, public relations, marketing and political campaign management, as well as a period of caring for her husband, who now is in cancer remission.

The Sustainable Practices Program’s interdisciplinary courses, taught by industry experts, range from “Understanding the U.S. Energy Landscape” to “Creative Financing of Sustainability Initiatives.” Participants need not be registered at CU-Boulder and may apply for and begin the program at any time.

Classes, which are not for university credit, can be taken individually or as part of a professional certificate track. Most courses are one day and held on campus on various dates throughout the school year.

Most courses are worth 10 program credit hours. To earn the professional certificate, 100 program credit hours are required including the completion of three core classes: “Organizational Change for Sustainability,” “Communication Strategies for Sustainability” and “Tools and Techniques for Sustainability.”

The average cost of each course is $265.