This newsletter is sponsored by GTA. The items contained herein are published as submitted and are provided for general information purposes only. This information is not advice. Readers should not rely solely on this information, but should make their own inquiries before making any decisions. GTA works to maintain up-to-date information from reliable sources; however, no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions or results of any actions based upon this information. If you have any questions regarding any of these items, contact the organizational representative of that source.

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The Gorge Robotics Club is in immediate need for a few dedicated volunteers. The club meets weekly  (Mondays, 6pm at Hood River's Soul Cafe) and is run by Aram Soghikian of Hood Tech and Jeff Blackman of Hood River Valley High School. There are two needs for volunteers:

1. A back-up person to occasionally run the meetings
   
2. Someone to come more regularly to assist with keeping track of the robots and clerical tasks

Contact Aram if you're interested. Thank you!

On Monday, Nov. 23, President Obama watched high school students show off their robot that launches moon rocks as he announced his Educate to Innovate campaign. The goal is "to improve the participation and performance of America's students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This campaign will include efforts not only from the Federal Government but also from leading companies, foundations, non-profits, and science and engineering societies to work with young people across America to excel in science and math." 

One area of focus will be on robotics programs and competitions, similar to the Gorge Robotics Club and GTA program recently awarded a Google grant.  Click here to read information from the White House or to watch the speech. Click here for information about the Google grant award.

Jobs in the clean technology industry are growing twice as fast as the national average. Clean Edge, "the Clean Tech Market Authority", recently released it's 2009 report on clean tech job trends. You can read the full report here or you can read a summary article here. Both reference Columbia Gorge Community College's Associate of Applied Science Degree in Renewable Energy Technology as a way to get yourself a job in this growing industry.

Vestas Wind Systems, the world's largest producer of wind turbines, will soon be offering its wind energy educational program, E-learning, to the masses for free. The goal of the E-learning program is to provide greater knowledge of wind power as an alternative energy source to oil and gas. Although, the first E-learning modules will not be uploaded for a few months, you can sample the program today at http://www.vestas.com/vestasworld. View 30 second to 9 minute videos about topics such as how the wind generates energy, wind power math, and a virtual tour of a wind farm in Portugal! In the virtual tour, you can even go up into a wind tower - pretty interesting!

Join the GTA for a fun December meeting as we toast the end of 2009!

When: Tuesday, December 15, 2009, tour at 6:30pm, networking before and after
Where: Full Sail Brewing, 506 Columbia St, Hood River
Cost: Free to attend but we're asking everyone to bring 2 cans of food for donation to a local foodbank.

Brewmaster Jaime Emmerson will be giving us a tour of the brewery focused on the Technology Behind Beer-Making at 6:30pm. Come earlier and/or stay after for networking, dinner and drinks in the pub! (no-host)

Portland State University is hosting its second Internet Marketing Conference. Whether you are a beginner and need to interact with your online customers or a seasoned professional who wants to hear the latest trends in SEO, PPC, analytics, and Social Media, several tracks will allow you to learn at your own pace.

Presentations by Portland's interactive experts will include keynote speaker, Renny Gleeson, Global Director of Interactive Strategies from Wieden+Kennedy, and Bryan Rhoads, Intel's Digital Strategist. Attendees will also enjoy four tracks with speakers on current digital marketing trends, the opportunity to have their websites reviewed by experts in a site lab and a holiday networking event with various digital marketing associations.

Dec. 7, 2009. 11:30am-8:00pm
Portland State Univ., 1515 SW 5th Ave, 10th Floor
$125 (SAO members receive a discount)

Visit http://www.pdc.pdx.edu/imarketing_conference/ for more information or to register.