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October 30, 2014 

 

Connecting Sustainability, Student Engagement, and Workforce Development


 

As one of the five recipients of this year's Green Genome Awards, SEED Member, McHenry County College (MCC) has been a leader and active partner with McHenry County's sustainability initiatives since the early 1990s. 

As winner of the Community Engagement category, the college has achieved continued success through a variety programs and partnerships with community organizations and higher education institutions. Read more.  

Community College Innovation Challenge 

 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is inviting community colleges to propose innovative STEM-Based solutions to real-world problems in a variety of fields. 

Submit entries between September 15, 2014 to January 15, 2015. 


Lane Community College Energy Carryover Fund 

 

This fund is the first of its kind on a community college campus and has saved Lane Community College more than $113,000 to date through energy efficiency projects. Projects under the green revolving fund umbrella generate an average return on investment of nearly 23 percent. Read the case study from the Billion Dollar Green Challenge. 

 
Welcome Back to Great Opportunities
October 1, 2014 

Welcome back to the school year. The SEED Center has several important announcements and is ramping up some exciting opportunities for colleges this fall. We will be conducting three of our acclaimed "campus living laboratory" workshops in different geographic regions. In addition, we will be issuing a national report on the community college tie to community resiliency. As communities move toward mitigating the effects of climate change, what is the role of the two-year college? Our report will place community colleges squarely within that growing national conversation. Finally, I want to extend a big congratulations to this year's Green Genome winners. Read about them below! This is an exciting time, and we look forward to your active engagement.
 
Sincerely, Bryan Albrecht
Balbrecht signature
Bryan Albrecht

Chair, AACC Sustainability Task Force

President, Gateway Technical College


  
 
The concept of using the community college campus as a sustainable living laboratory is gaining in popularity. The SEED Center is pleased to be hosting three of its acclaimed workshops this fall where our national experts will help colleges integrate living lab exercises into their existing curriculum and build the necessary campus partnerships to maximize their impact.  

 

If workshop locations are not near your college, APPLY FOR A TRAVEL STIPEND by contacting sustainability@aacc.nche.edu. There are limited stipends, so act fast.

Green Genome Five exemplary community colleges have been selected for the second annual Green Genome Awards. Winning colleges will each receive $7,500 plus a set of state-of-the-art tools and horticulture equipment from awards sponsor Snap-on. Read the press release. 


Congratulations to our 2014 winners:

  • Gateway Technical College, Wisconsin (Strategic Partnerships)
  • Lane Community College, Oregon (Governance)
  • Moraine Valley Community College, Illinois (Program Design & Delivery)
  • McHenry County College, Illinois (Community Engagement)
  • Greenfield Community College, Massachusetts (Overall)

 

Learn more about the winners. 

 

Webinar: Connecting Sustainability, Student Engagement & Workforce Development 

 

Get an in-depth look into Greenfield Community College's institutional approach to sustainability and use of experiential learning to prepare students for green jobs within the sustainable agriculture and clean energy industries. October 30, 2014, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT. Register now.

Clean Tech Education Workshop at WDI

  

SEED will host its 5th annual "Building a Green Pipeline of Talent" workshop at AACC's Workforce Development Institute in January 2015.  

 

The clean economy -- from renewable energies to water and energy efficiency -- is in desperate need of educated middle-skill workers. Learn about the latest skill standards and best practices being discussed nationally and how your college can adapt these to build and refine sustainability-related programs that make sense for your region. Colleges will take a pre-session self-assessment and receive customized technical assistance from national leaders on site.

 

Target Audience: Workforce professionals with programs or an interest in clean technology, and, more broadly, in environmental sustainability.

Register now. 

What do you think?  Send comments, suggestions, sustainability success stories, newsletter ideas, green economy events/webinars and conferences, and learn more about corporate partnerships.

 

SEED is brought to you by the American Association of Community Colleges and founding partner ecoAmerica.

 

 

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