Chesapeake Urban Stormwater Professionals (CUSP)
What is CUSP?
CUSP is a free, new professional training program from the Chesapeake Stormwater Network! The core of the program is a 14-part webcast “curriculum” that introduces the basic impacts of stormwater runoff and how they can be reduced or mitigated by stormwater and urban watershed restoration practices. These “basics” are an important prerequisite for many environmental jobs in our network but are seldom taught in most undergraduate or graduate programs.
How Does it Work?
Interested participants register below to participate in the CUSP Program. From there, you will be assigned to a learning “cohort” and given access to each live webcast and a host of supplemental resources to extend your learning. To earn your CUSP certificate, you must complete 15 “engagements”, including at least 10 of the 14 webcasts. While live participation is recommended, you will have nearly 5 months to view the webcasts and meet your requirements. Other engagement opportunities will include viewing supplemental webcasts from CSN’s archives, attending live “office hours”, and reading technical reports and completing a short response prompt. Mix and match to meet your learning preferences!
Completion of the program is free and voluntary. If at any time the demands of work and life pile up and you decide CUSP is no longer a priority, feel free to stop. We hope to offer future cohorts, so completing an evaluation is appreciated, whether you finish the program or not.
Who Should Participate in CUSP?
The five primary audiences for the CUSP include:
- Senior students and graduates who want to work in the private sector and have a strong interest in green infrastructure and watershed restoration.
- Senior students, graduates and new professionals who want to work for the public or nonprofit sector (primarily local governments and watershed groups) in areas such as development/stormwater plan review, MS4 permitting, watershed restoration and outreach and education.
- Newer staff from small municipalities and larger counties in the Bay watershed (less than 5 years of experience) that administer their MS4 permits, handle stormwater plan review or implement local watershed restoration plans, and want to get more training to do their jobs better.
- Older staff from small and large communities (5 to 20 years of experience) that want to refresh or “tune-up” their basic stormwater understanding and also share the real-world lessons they have acquired in their careers with others.
- Folks from environmental advocacy, watershed groups and stewards/master gardeners that want to learn more about the environmental potential of local stormwater and restoration programs.
CUSP Incentives
If all the above isn’t enough to get you hooked, check out our flyer above with short course descriptions along with these great perks:
In addition to receiving access to CSN’s extensive library of training content and stormwater resources, participants who complete the requirements of the CUSP Program will:
- Receive a signed certificate of completion
- Be featured on CSN’s website and a special edition of our Stormwater Scoop newsletter, received by over 11,000 stormwater professionals each month
- Earn a full or partial scholarship to attend a future Bay-wide Stormwater Partner’s Retreat – the premier networking and information-sharing event in the region.
- Be given priority registration access to upcoming exclusive CSN career development and professional networking events
Participants will also have the opportunity to win select prizes, including:
- CSN t-shirts
- Custom library of CSN/CWP watershed restoration books/manuals/reports
- Gift cards to local businesses supporting restoration initiatives
Register is Now Closed for 2022
Registration for the 2022 cohort is now closed. Please check back for updates on our next edition!