Past Webinars
National Community College Sustainability Webinar
March 21, 2017 | 1:30 Central Time
This webinar explored the implications that climate change will have for water infrastructure and public health in the United States and how water tech programs are addressing or will need to address them in the future.
Juli Trtanj, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and co-author of the National Climate Assessment (NCA), discussed the findings of the National Climate Assessment and what they suggest about future stresses on water infrastructure systems.
Roger Ebbage, Northwest Water and Energy Education Institute at Lane Community College, discussed water training programs at Lane and how they are integrating sustainability principles and the potential impacts of climate change in their coursework.
You may access presentation materials used by and referenced by our presenters below.
Roger Ebbage's Water Conservation Technician Degree (PDF)
Juli Trtanj's The Impacts of Climate Change on Water-Related Illness and Water Infrastructure in the United States (PDF)
November 2016
This webinar featured connections between the National Council for Science and the Environment and community colleges through NCSE’s Community College Alliance for Sustainability Education (CCASE). Our presenters were:
Michelle Wyman, executive director of the National Council for Science and The Environment
Wyman discussed the growing role for community colleges at NCSE as well as the upcoming NCSE conference focusing on Environmental Health.
James Miller, coordinator, project administrator and research, and Kirk Sawyer, professor, EMERGE, from Seminole State College of Florida
The EMERGE program provides foundational, project-based learning opportunities to first- and second-year college students via a multifaceted certificate curriculum in sustainability and renewable energy that’s designed both to complement technical education degrees and to enrich liberal arts studies. Focuses include hands-on laboratories that create certification pathways for future technicians as well as co-curricular projects that enhance engagement among non-technical students and make for a better informed, globally conscious citizenry. Seminole State is a CCASE member, and its relationship with NCSE was also discussed.
University of New Mexico, Gallup CEO and former Community College Alliance for Sustainability Education President, Dr. Christopher Dyer, spoke on "Guerrilla gardening" and heritage planting in the Arizona high country. His presentation explored successes getting students involved in serving people in nearby food deserts and partnerships to increase education for green building techniques.
October 2016
Integration of Campus Farms and Gardens into Academic Programs and Campus Life
Getting a Full-Time Farm/Garden Coordinator Position Funded
Sarah Murray, Coordinator of Sustainable Practices, Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE will discuss making the case for a full-time position acting as the liaison between three different departments: Horticulture, Culinary, and Sustainability. She will also discuss the funding mechanisms used, and some of the more strategic through-processes that went into the staffing request and how after many budget cycles, the position was finally approved.
Integrating Sustainable Agriculture, Culinary Arts, and Wine (Oh, My)
Taylor Reid, PhD, TC3 Farm Education Director, Sustainable Farming and Food Systems Program Chair, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Dwyer, NY will discuss the Sustainable Farming and Food Systems Program at Tompkins Cortland Community College. This is part of a larger Farm to Bistro initiative that includes Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Management, and Wine Marketing Programs. The programs are integrated through their curricula, and through partnerships between the TC3 Farm and Coltivare Restaurant and Event Center in downtown Ithaca. Coltivare and the TC3 Farm are set up as for-profit businesses through the TC3 Foundation, and provide students with authentic hands-on work experiences during the course of their programs.
Developing Meaningful Garden Programs and Generating Participation
Hannah Wittwer, Learning Garden Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, will discuss how she collaborates with both academic faculty and external organizations to get students involved in garden programs that connect to coursework across several disciplines. VCU has two gardens maintained by the Office of Sustainability: a community garden and an educational garden, which grows food exclusively for donation to underserved members of the Richmond community.
March 2016
Sustainability and Gaming
This webinar will discussed the role that console/computer games have on shaping people’s expectations about sustainability as well as what game designers should think about as they create games. With series like Civilization and SimCity being played by millions of people, these games are important shapers of assumptions about planetary limits, design, creativity, and technology. Erin Hoffman and Paula Angela Escuadra will provide insights based on their years in the game design industry. This webinar will touch on the following topics:
- The influence of these games and how they work.
- How these assumptions help make or break a great game.
- What designers are doing to develop games with sustainability issues as key elements.
- What gaming programs need to think about when discussing these issues in their programs.
Paula Escuadra is Digital Marketing & Community Manager at GlassLab Games. She is responsible for cultivating awareness and driving engagement across all digital channels. A gamer at heart, she brings to GlassLab experience in product development, digital acquisition and behavioral analytics from a variety of companies, including BioWare, Electronic Arts Inc., and My.com. Paula is also a graduate of Presidio Graduate School of Sustainable Management, where she received a double master's in Business and Public Administration. As an energetic analyst in the activist space, she has a vested interest in social impact and community resilience through video games and technology.
Erin Hoffman is the Chief Designer and cofounder of Sense of Wonder, an independent mobile developer of "smart fun" games. Previously she led game design at GlassLab, a Bill and Melinda Gates and Macarthur Foundation supported three-year initiative to establish integrated formative assessment educational games. Her game credits include Mars Generation One: Argubot Academy, Kung Fu Panda World, GoPets, and others. She is also the author of a fantasy trilogy with Pyr Books. For more information, visit www.glasslabgames.org and Twitter @gryphoness
February 2016
Building Relationships for Sustainability-Focused Transfer Students
This webinar gave three University partners the opportunity to present recommendations for transfer students’ success in their undergraduate degrees and certificates. All three presenters discussed degrees or certificates ideal for students engaged in sustainability at community colleges. Of special interest to our audience, our presenters addressed curricular and co-curricular choices, service learning, internships, leadership roles, and other opportunities at the community college level that help make transfer students in their programs more successful.
November 2015
Communicating Sustainability to Diverse Student Populations
This webinar will encouraged discussion on how to communicate our sustainability work with diverse campus populations. Topics of interest included engaging international students, non-native English speakers, and the Deaf community.
October 2015
Sustainability and the Arts at Community Colleges
This webinar covers the ways that sustainability and the arts have been combined at Johnson County Community College with ample opportunity for other colleges to share their best practices.
Featuring presentations on sustainability-related student sculpture contests from Mark Cowardin, Associate Professor of Fine Arts, and on sustainability and the performing arts from Emily Behrmann, General Manager, Performing Arts Series.
August 2015
Student Internships and Utilizing RFPs as Ways to Involve Students in On-Campus Projects
With presentations from Colleen Butterfield, Project Manager, Education, Alliance to Save Energy, and Carson Bennett, Campus as a Living Lab Faculty Liaison, and Luis Campos, Executive Director, Facilities, Central New Mexico Community College.
Download event information:
May 2015
AASHE and Community Colleges: What’s Next
With a presentation from Megan Zahniser, Executive Director, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, AASHE. Zahniser discussed how she sees AASHE serving community colleges going forward and takes questions from participants.
Download event slides:
March 2015
Community Colleges as Learning Laboratories for Sustainability
With presentations from:
Todd Cohen, Director AACC SEED Center
Carson Bennett, Campus as a Living Lab Faculty Liaison, English Department Faculty Central New Mexico Community College
Joe Fullerton, Energy Management Coordinator, San Mateo Community College District
Cohen discussed using the SEED Center’s report on community college case studies. Bennett presented a progress report on CNM's integration of a faculty member into their facilities operations to help identify learning lab opportunities. Fullerton described their “Smart and Sustainable Campus as a Living Laboratory” program that includes efficiency as well as a 1.2 MW solar installation.
Download event slides:
February 2015
Service Learning and Sustainability
This conversation featured two presenters who’ve successfully integrated education for sustainability into their service learning offerings, and a student whose sustainability-related service learning experiences have inspired her to work with faculty to develop additional co-curricular opportunities.
Presentations:
Stewart Sinning, Service Learning Coordinator
Edmonds Community College, Lynwood, Washington
Dr. Bob Franco, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Office for Institutional Effectiveness
Dr. Krista Hiser, Associate Professor of English and Faculty Service Learning and Sustainability Coordinator
Kapi’olani Community College, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Emily Reno, Student Participant, Las Pintas Solar Service Learning Project
Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
What are the consequences for campus sustainability based on the outcomes? How will the elections affect policy and funding over the next two years and the longer term? What opportunities for bipartisan cooperation are out there?
Presentations and commentary by:
Jim Elder, Director, Campaign for Environmental Literacy
Ashok Gupta, Senior Midwest Policy Advocate, Natural Resources Defense Council
Sudeep Vyapari, Associate Executive Director at National Council for Science and the Environment
Play or download the December event recording.
Download event slides:
Tuesday, November 21, 2014
This presentation discussed creative ways Lane Community College used its Learning Garden including: funding, internships for credit, work-study use, integrating curriculum from across campus, and connections with 2 year degree programs.
Rosie Sweetman, Learning Garden Specialist, Lane Community College
Linda Peattie, Sustainability & Risk Mgmt Coordinator, Delta College
Delta College looked to provide education around urban farming but without having an on-campus operation of their own. They created the Urban Farmer continuing education program as a result. The Urban Farmer sessions are geared toward the fledgling farmer, the backyard gardener, the chicken enthusiast, and for those who have never grown a vegetable but who understand value of cultivating awareness of good, clean local foods. Sessions are presented in a casual learning, sharing environment by individuals with hands-on involvement in local farming, sustainability, and food collectives. Learn about this program and how it is working at Delta.
Download event slides:
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Introductory Sustainability Courses at Community Colleges
Andrew Kerins, Danville Area Community College
Shannon Bessette, Anthropology and Deb Lanni, Media Arts, Jamestown Community College
Kim Criner, Johnson County Community College/University of Kansas
These case studies explored the varying motivations, expectations, and course materials that come with teaching introductory sustainability courses on community college campuses.
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Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Sustainability and Nursing Programs
Marcia Lochmann, Director of College Partnerships for the Illinois Green Economy Network
Colleen Duggan, Professor of Nursing at Johnson County Community College
As community colleges update their nursing programs to meet the new demands of the Health Care industry, sustainability needs to be one of the elements that those programs address. Hospitals deal with a variety of sustainability issues beyond the obvious ones of energy, waste, and food. This webinar will suggest what some of those issues are and how nursing programs might begin to address them.
Marcia Lochmann, Director of College Partnerships for the Illinois Green Economy Network, will open with a framing of these issues based on experiences in Illinois.
Colleen Duggan, Professor of Nursing at Johnson County Community College will then follow with a case study about meeting learning outcomes in an ADN Nursing Program by using Sustainability.
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014
12:30 p.m. Central Time
Bert Jacobson, Ph.D.
This presentation discussed a new program designed to create a statewide certification for recycling management professionals followed by an informal sharing of ideas about the best way to set up introductory Sustainability 101 courses.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
1 p.m. Central Time
Building Sustainability Into The College Strategic Plan.
Andrew Kim, Director of Environmental Stewardship, Austin Community College (TX)
Randy Grissom, President, Santa Fe Community College (NM)
Xubi Wilson, Renewable Energy Programs Coordinator, Santa Fe Community College (NM)
Todd Cohen, Program Director, The SEED Center (Moderator)
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
2 p.m. Central Time
Community Colleges, Education, and the Impending Water Crisis
Mike Smith, Program Coordinator and Lead Faculty, Colorado State Discipline Chair for Water Industry Education, Red Rocks Community College
Christine Radke, Manager of the Water Science & Engineering division, Water Environment Federation
Dr. Jeremy Pickard, Associate Director, Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
Todd Cohen, Director, AACC SEED Center(Moderator)
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
12:30 p.m. Central Time
The ACUPCC and Community Colleges: How the ACUPCC and Second Nature can support community colleges moving towards carbon neutrality.
Brett Pasinella, Kresge Implementation Fellow, Second Nature
USGBC’s Community Green: How can the US Green Building Council support curricular development at, and the greening of, community colleges.
Josh Lasky, Manager, Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council
Stephenie Presseller, Sustainability Manager, Moraine Valley Community College
Download event slides:
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
12:30 p.m. Central Time
Sustainable Agriculture at JCCC
Stuart Shafer, Professor, Sociology and Chair, Sustainable Agriculture
Mike Ryan, Campus Farm Manager
This presentation discussed community gardens and sustainable agriculture programs at community colleges. Also, different roles these programs play on community colleges across the nation including how they fit into holistic college sustainability plans were presented.
Growing a Crop of 21st Century Innovators: Adapting our Learning Garden to Changing Times
Erin Stanforth, Sustainability Manager, Portland Community College
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014
12:30 p.m. Central Time
Measuring the Impact of One Assignment on Reported Sustainability-Related Behaviors
Bob Riesenberg, Whatcom Community College, Bellingham, Washington
A sustainability-related assignment in a General Psychology course produced a consistent change of sustainability-related attitudes across sections of the course over an 8 year period. Sustainability-related attitudes were measured in week 1 of the course. The assignment occurred in week 4. Post assignment attitudes were measured in week 11. Sustainability issues were not mentioned at any time during the course other than in the assignment. The data support the effectiveness of one assignment having a statistically significant effect on many sustainability attitudes that persists at least 7 weeks after the assignment.
The Chatham Cottage Project at Central Carolina Community College
Laura Lauffer, Central Carolina Community College, Sanford, North Carolina
In the fall of 2013, a group of students from varying backgrounds came together to accomplish one goal. This goal was to alter people's standards of living, to take a step forward by taking a step back. This idea has been transferred into one house, Chatham Cottage II. The plan was to build a small, affordable, energy efficient home with simple applications such as passive solar design, thermal break sheathing, and advanced framing techniques. The project is intended to be self-funded from the sale of the house (which sold in June!).
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Tuesday, November 19, 2013
1:30 p.m. Central Time
Green+: The Kentucky Community and Technical College System Sustainability Initiative
Billie Hardin, Sustainability Project Manager, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
Other KCTCS Sustainability Leadership personnel
The efforts to implement sustainability plans at all of Kentucky’s community and technical colleges called Green+ were discussed.
Download event slides:
- Green+ -PDF
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
1:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Sustainable Procurement: Issues and Case Studies
Andrea Desimone, Program Support Specialist, Green Electronics Council
Sam Hummel, Director of Outreach, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
Erin Stanforth, Sustainability Manager, Portland Community College
How does one implement a sustainable procurement policy? What assistance can outside organizations provide in doing so? How can tracking purchases help colleges track GHGs?
Download event slides:
- EPEAT PPTX
- Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council -PDF
- Supply Chain Inventory -PDF
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
1:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Green Transcripting and Credentials at Community Colleges
Bruce Sikes, Chief Academic Officer, Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus
Ken Warden, EdD, Chief Business and Community Outreach Officer, Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus
Jo Alice Blondin, PhD, President, Clark State Community College
How and why does one add green credentials to a college transcript? What value do students and employers find in this type of transcripting? Presenters discussed how this was done at their community college and how employers view such credentials.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
12:30 p.m. Central Time
A "Greenprint" to Promote Sustainability Skills in the 21st Century Workforce via Community Colleges
Input from community colleges and their stakeholders is essential in the ongoing drafting of a policy recommendations "Greenprint." Forty-five national workforce and education thought leaders convened in April at the Pew Conference Center in Washington, DC for "Sustainability Skills Matter," a meeting to begin gathering input and developing an initial draft of the "Greenprint." The meeting was hosted by the Greenforce Initiative, a joint-program of the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program and Jobs for the Future with support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. It was co-sponsored by the American Association of Community College’s SEED Center and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS). Julian Keniry from NWF and Gloria Mwase from Jobs for the Future along with other participants will discuss the outcome of this meeting and the ongoing drafting of the "Greenprint."
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
12:30 p.m. Central Time
Assessing Sustainability in Community College Courses
How do we know that courses that say they are teaching sustainability are doing so in ways that reach students? How can we measure the results that we all want to achieve? Gabe Estill and Stephenie Presseller from Moraine Valley Community College shared their experiences and methodologies in our April webinar.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
12:30 p.m. Central Time
Sustainable Agriculture Programs and Veterans
As concerns about conventional agriculture grow and the average age of farmers of all types continues to increase, community colleges are beginning to turn their attention to these crucial issues. Representatives from Johnson County Community College (KS) and Central Carolina Community College (NC) shared their stories. Also, Tia Christopher from the Farmer Veteran Coalition will talk about their work helping veterans transition into farming careers.
Download this Month’s Webinar Slides -PDF
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
12:30 p.m. Central Time
Education and Civic Engagement for a Sustainable Future and Green Job Growth
Dr. Debra Rowe, Oakland Community College
Dr. Bert Jacobsen, Kankakee Community College
Understand how to make civic engagement come alive on your campus and in your community while growing your sustainability programs. Gain useful tools from a pilot project being implemented by a network of Illinois universities and colleges (Green Universities and Colleges) and AACC’s SEED Center aimed at growing green jobs. In addition, hear a summary from discussions between AACC’s Action Community and the Council on Environmental Quality at the White House and how you can engage students, faculty, and government relations staff in potential future sustainability-focused policies in play.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
12:30 p.m. Central Time
The Future of Campus Sustainability
With Dave Newport, University of Colorado-Boulder
A discussion about how campus sustainability may evolve, including what resilience as a concept might have to offer. Dave Newport offered a few thoughts and helped us discuss what’s next. Also, you may want to read some of Dave Newport’s provocative blog posts.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
2:00 p.m. Central Time
Open Forum
We had a discussion of reflections, projections, and much-needed vacations.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
1:00 p.m. Central Time
A discussion of what might or might not change on the national political scene in the wake of the November elections and also the media coverage of Hurricane Sandy.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
2:00 p.m. Central Time
Dr. Debra Rowe
Updates on AACC’s Action Community: growing green jobs through policy and civic engagement. Hear the latest, get resources, discuss solutions to our shared and diverse challenges.
Tuesday, September 18
2:00 p.m. Central Time
Creating a Sustainable Curriculum
Lessons from the North Carolina Code Green Curriculum Integration Project
Holly Weir from Davidson County Community College discussed the Code Green project that was recently adopted by the North Carolina Community College system to integrate sustainability into a variety of course outcomes on a state-wide basis.
Tuesday, August 21
2:00 p.m., Central Standard Time
We had a quick welcome back from our summer break and then turned to a discussion of how to enlarge the discourse about climate change and energy market solutions with:
Conservative Solutions to Energy and Climate
Former Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC), who is now Executive Director of George Mason University’s Energy and Enterprise Institute
The USGBC and Community College Partnerships
Vanessa Santos – USGBC will also
Discussed how community colleges can get one free year of USGBC membership
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
12:00 pm, Central Standard Time
Utilizing Student Employees to Get Sustainability Projects Done
Michael Rea, Johnson County Community College
Michael discussed how he has obtained student employees and what they do on a daily basis.
USGBC Students: Sustainability and Student Involvement
Pamela Wallentiny, Howard Community College
Pamela discussed the impact that starting a student chapter of USGBC at Howard Community College has created.
Using Campus Efficiency Projects to Engage Students
Ellie Kim, Project Manager
Green Campus Program, Alliance to Save Energy
“Applying AASHE’s S.T.A.R.S. System to the Community College”
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
12:00 pm, Central Standard Time
Stephenie Presseller
Sustainability Manager, Moraine Valley Community College
STARS, the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System developed by AASHE is gaining traction across the nation. It is an extensive review of the institution’s sustainability initiatives, doing its best to address all three tenants of the triple bottom line as it relates to higher education. Currently 300 colleges and universities are registered. Last year, 138 submitted their reports for rating, about 18 of which were community colleges. Stephenie will share Moraine Valley Community College’s experience going through the STARS process, including some highlights and challenges. She will also give an overview of what AASHE is learning from community colleges that are participating in STARS.
“Open Forum”
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
12:00 pm, Central Standard Time
This webinar was an open forum encouraging colleges to share their successes as well as concerns. We also discussed the results of the CCv2.0: Putting Sustainability to Work at the Community College conference.
“Creating Successful Job Placements in Green Jobs: Key Strategies Using Policy and Civic Engagement”
Thursday, February 16, 2012
12:00 pm, Central Standard Time
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:
- Todd Cohen, AACC and The SEED Center - will discuss SEED’s green policy action community and ways to get involved
- Jay Murdoch, Efficiency First – Will discuss the industry needs and the policy actions educators and students can take to grow green jobs
- Debra Rowe, Oakland CC - will describe specific options and resources for colleges about how to effectively utilize civic engagement in the classroom and in the community to build a more sustainable economy and create more successes for our students
- Amanda Evans, Santa Fe CC
“Prepping K-12 Students for a Higher Ed. Sustainability Education”
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - 12:00 pm, Central Standard Time
Sustainability and green job programs are growing at community colleges, technical schools, and universities throughout the country. But how is secondary education responding to help prepare incoming students? This topic included programs and the students who are drawn to them. What programs exist at your institutions and what types of “green jobs” are you training student for? What do you expect from incoming students, and what do they expect from you? What opportunities are there to form partnerships between institutions that strengthen sustainability and environmental education at all levels? Your input will help inform a special committee that is working to evaluate the needs of secondary school educators preparing students for sustainability and green jobs programs in higher education.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 12:00 pm, Central Standard Time
Brief SEED Center website walk-through and open forum to discuss pertinent topics of interest, asking questions, providing tips for holiday travel.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - 12:00 pm, Central Standard Time
The challenge of engaging students in sustainability at community colleges when students time is minimized on commuter campuses. We discussed a survey done at JCCC regarding student attitudes towards sustainability and then shared questions and best practices.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 – 12:00 pm, Central Daylight Time
Topics included: GHG reduction/climate action planning, transportation, and student engagement. The student engagement section was discussed in the following month.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 – 12:00 pm, Central Daylight Time
The Community College Sustainability Webinar for September took a more interactive format. Several schools asked for the opportunity to gather data on several topics (green fees, transportation, continuing education, etc). So, our September webinar was Part I of at least one additional webinar that we will focus on gathering instant feedback about what schools around the nation are or are not doing and discuss strategies around the topics we discuss. To be clear, this is not being done so much to gather scientific results as to promote a more interactive set of discussions about issues.
Integrating sustainability into the general education curriculum.
Jim Elder from the Campaign for Environmental Literacy discussed the current state of sustainability issues on Capitol Hill and how community colleges can help drive policy.