"The Green Workforce Pre-Conference workshop at AACC's Workforce Development Institute was highly informative and beneficial.

I have some great resources now, including the SEED staff and online resources. I would definitely recommend the SEED Center to those just entering this industry or veterans.

The information received during the workshop will play a role in determining the future direction of our campus and programs.

Thank you."

Rick Mayes

Director of Building Sciences

Northwest Arkansas Community College

Welcome  

New SEED Members, January

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA

Tompkins Cortland Community College

Dryden, NY

West Valley College

Saratoga, CA

If your college is not a member yet, join today, or refer a college to join and begin taking advantage of free resources SEED offers. 

Climate, Adaptation, Mitigation, E-Learning (CAMEL)

Free, comprehensive, interdisciplinary, multi-media resource for educators to enable them to effectively teach about climate change and create and share curricular resources.

Don't Miss... Announcements 

Find a comprehensive list of events and announcements on theseedcenter.org.

Productive efficiency investments would drive a net gain of almost 2M jobs and save consumers an average of $400B/year (the equivalent of about $2,600 per household). Overall energy consumption can be reduced by 40-60%.

Don't Miss... Conferences:  

Strengthening Sustainability-across-the-Curriculum on Our Campuses

Faculty and interested students in the greater Spokane/Coeur D'Alene, Pullman/Moscow, and Northern Rockies regions are invited to attend.

Co-hosted by the Washington Center with Spokane Community College.  

2/10/12

Spokane, WA 

Good Jobs, Green Jobs Regional Conferences 

Labor, environmental, business, elected, and community leaders working to promote, preserve, and build coalitions that create good jobs and preserve our economic and environmental future.

2/23-34/12

Atlanta, GA

3/15-16/12

Los Angeles, CA

4/3-4/12

Philadelphia, PA

5/10-11/12

Detroit, MI 

Presidents' Climate Commitment Southwest Regional Symposium

Join Second Nature, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and 30 provosts and chief academic officers (CAOs) from around the country for a day-long workshop on the integration of sustainability into academic design and delivery. These symposiums are working sessions to foster collaboration among universities and colleges who are facing similar challenges and opportunities.  

3/1-2/12

Arizona State University (ASU)

Tempe, AZ

AACC Annual Conference

21st Century Vision: Igniting Innovation

4/21-24/12

Orlando, FL 

Agriculture-based Renewable Energy Professional Development Workshop

Community college and high school agriculture and science teachers will learn ways to bring research on ag-based renewable energy technologies to the classroom.

Applications due: 4/1/12

6/11-12/12

Iowa State University

Ames, IA

Conference on Innovations in Technical Education to Advance Sustainability

6/14-17/2012

Alfred State College, NY

Don't Miss... Webinars:

DOE Wind Powering America: Recent Workforce Development Activities 

A review of outcomes of DOE's recent workforce development projects focused on creating educational opportunities to prepare students for wind energy industry jobs.

SEED-Sponsored Webinar,  

Creating Successful Job Placements in Green Jobs: Key Strategies Using Policy & Civic Engagement 

Join national industry and college experts as we describe curricular and campus resources available to help you successfully engage in regional energy and sustainability policy efforts. In partnership with Johnson County Community College (KS).

2/16/12, 1PM EST

Integrating safety components into green jobs training programs.

Part of the National Wildlife Federation's "Greener Campus Conference Series"

2/28/12

SEED Webinar

Community College and Employer Partnerships: Real Jobs in the Clean Economy

Registration to be announced on www.theseedcenter.org.

3/6/12, 1PM ET

Issue 13, February 8, 2012  

Last month, President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to community colleges and a thriving energy sector in the State of the Union address.  In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that additional grant funding is being committed under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training program--and that the energy industry would be a crucial target sector for colleges to explore in their applications.

AACC's SEED Initiative is at the nexus of these opportunities. We are delighted that community colleges and the need for diverse energy sources continue to receive strong support from the White House.

SEED's resources came to life last month at AACC's Workforce Development Institute (WDI). Participants at the 2nd annual workshop, "Building a Green Workforce: Charting a Course for Community Colleges" heard from expert leaders at community colleges working to build cutting edge green and sustainability education programs.   In April, this peer-to-peer collaboration will be continued at AACC's Annual Convention.  Don't miss our pre-conference session geared specifically for presidents, "A Green Campus-Saving Money and Building Reputation."

We had the opportunity to meet many new SEED members and resource users at WDI, and look forward to seeing more of you at the AACC Annual Convention in April in Orlando, Florida.   As you continue to learn about SEED and the offerings for colleges, let us know what you think and ask questions.

We look forward to continuing to work with you.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Jerry Weber

Chair, AACC Sustainability Task Force

President, College of Lake County, IL

SEED at AACC's Workforce Development Institute

Offers Peer to Peer Hands-on Learning

Thirty colleges participated in the 2nd annual peer-to-peer clean economy training workshop entitled "Building a Green Workforce: Charting a Course for Community Colleges." Held at AACC's Workforce Development Institute last month, participants received in-depth technical assistance from some of the most innovative college leaders in the country, touching on common sustainability challenges from building key industry partnerships, to aligning to national certifications, to greening existing curricula.  

Randy Grissom, Santa Fe Community College, leads SEED's WDI Workshop

The workshop was an intense day of learning and participants left with an action plan to advance sustainability and clean economy workforce efforts.

"The workshop was highly informative," reported Rick Mayes, Director of Building Sciences, Northwest Arkansas Community College. "The information, particularly around green funding sources and program standards will play a role in determining the future direction of our campus and all workforce programs."

Presenters at the workshop included educators from Los Angeles Trade Technical College (CA), Lane Community College (OR), and Santa Fe Community College (NM). With the help of AACC, these schools will continue to serve as mentors to the participants throughout the next year to ensure action plans are implemented.

Workshop presentations can be downloaded here.

Randy Grissom, Santa Fe Community College (NM) and Shawn Strange, AACC

 

SEED Examines Green Credentials at WDI 

AACC's Workforce Development Institute last month also featured a SEED-sponsored discussion, "Green Credentials Matter."   The latest nationally developed renewable energy and energy efficiency standards were highlighted.  The discussion was led by Jane Weissman, CEO of Interstate Renewable Energy Council; Larry Zarker, CEO of Building Performance Institute; and Craig Clark, Dean of Applied Technology at Alfred State College (NY). 

During the Textile Age in the early 1900's, the Reedy River which runs through the heart of Greenville, South Carolina and borders Greenville Technical College (GTC) became heavily polluted.  Its freshwater ecosystem now provides the backdrop for an emerging unique learning center with intersections between sustainability, scientific processes, and technology.  GTC's Outdoor Living and Learning Laboratory offers contextualized learning experiences for students through sustainable curriculum modules. Learn more.

This op-ed from Greenville Technical College President Keith Miller appeared on January 15, 2012 in The Greenville News.   President Miller reinforces the ways Greenville Tech and other colleges are putting AACC and SEED to work to build sustainability programming.  Read the editorial now.

Join national industry and college experts as we describe curricular and campus resources available to you to successfully engage in regional energy and sustainability policy efforts.

Speakers include:

• Jay Murdoch, CEO, Efficiency First
• Debra Rowe, Oakland Community College (MI) 
• Amanda Evans, Santa Fe Community College (NM), Energy$mart Academy

Register now.    

• Georgia Piedmont Technical College
• Employer, to be announced soon

Registration details to be announced soon on www.theSEEDcenter.org.     

 SEED Colleges in the News

Discover details on these newsmakers and send us your clean energy and sustainability news. We'll share it with the SEED community.

SEED Colleges Reap Benefits of Sustainable Agriculture:

SEED Members dedicated to sustainable rural development  

Johnson County Community College (KA), Alfred State College (NY), Seattle Central Community College (WA), and Mesa Community College (AZ) show success with growing student demand for sustainable agriculture offerings. Read more.

The sustainable agriculture industry feeds a growing job market. A new generation of agricultural professionals are emerging with training from community colleges. Read more.

Cumberland County College (NJ) Approves Solar Energy Project

A 1.5 MW solar energy project that will save the school $2 million over 15 years will give students hands-on educational experiences with solar technology.  

Lincoln Land Community College (IL) Looks to a Bright Future for Green Jobs

The first classes of new renewable-energy program students will graduate this spring.

Bristol Community College (MA) Partners with High School for Green Energy Curriculum

The pilot project will expose both high school and higher education students to sustainable and green energy technologies.

Johnson County Community College (KS) Sustainable Hospitality Internship

A new hospitality internship will help integrate sustainable practices into Kansas City metro restaurant operations.

• Learning outcomes
• Classroom and lab activities
• Laboratory and training manuals 
• Syllabi  
• Equipment lists
• Lesson plans
• Textbooks