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This page was last updated as of June 24, 2024
Historic District Switch to Renewable Energy 🥳
Historic District Switch to Renewable Energy 🥳
After an extensive process, the Board of Trustees voted on May 22, 2024 to move away from their Direct Access electricity contract with Constellation Newenergy and pursue a new agreement with Peninsula Clean Energy, which will provide SMCCCD with electricity procured 100% from carbon-free sources! This includes solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydroelectric energy, and is a huge shift from our previous portfolio...which only included 25% clean energy procurement as of 2022.
Sustainability Career Center
Sustainability Career Center
Establishment
Establishment
After working hard all semester developing new clean energy-related education exhibits to supplement the Museum of Tomorrow, our Sustainability Career Center student assistants were able to display their exhibits at multiple open house events for students, staff, and faculty from across the District. The Sustainability Team also hosted a curriculum integration working lunch and a Districtwide Sustainability Committee meeting at the SCC space this semester.
Schedule a time with us for a special tour of our space at Cañada College Building 19! As always, thank you to our funder, Peninsula Clean Energy!
Earth Fest & Earth Month Engagement
Earth Fest & Earth Month Engagement
April, being Earth Month, is always a busy month for the District Sustainability team! We hosted our 2nd annual Earth Fest at CSM and Skyline College, and invited students, staff, and faculty to explore our many stations. Our Museum of Tomorrow exhibits—including a new exhibit built by our SCC students—were on display, and the thrift clothing swap and e-waste drive were very successful.
Visitors also interacted with Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, Sustainability Service Corps, Byrd’s Filling Station, Pacific Beach Coalition, California State Parks, CSM Democrats, and Peninsula Precious Plastics to table. Overall, we had an estimated attendance of ~200 and hope to see more of our campus community next year!
SKY Lawn Replacement Project
SKY Lawn Replacement Project
Wondering how our native plants at SKY Lot P are doing? The team hosted a weeding and mulching party in May at our newest pollinator friendly landscaping site. This project will qualify us for Bee Campus certification next year 😊
Zero Waste Program: Facilities Review and SKY Waste Audit
Zero Waste Program: Facilities Review and SKY Waste Audit
Across our three campuses, the Sustainability Team organized Zero Waste trainings with custodial, groundskeeping, and engineering staff. Custodial and groundskeeping staff work hard to collect our campus waste and make sure it gets to the appropriate end location – they are instrumental in helping us to recycle and compost as much as possible. We conducted a mini waste audit of our Facilities building bins with the team, and received lots of feedback about ways we can continue to improve our waste diversion rate across the District.
Working with Professor Mays Danfoura and the ENVS 101 class at Skyline College, the team also conducted a waste audit of Building 6. We discovered that, similar to Cañada College, the majority of waste in our dining hall areas is compostable, and yet a significant portion of this organic waste ends up in the landfill bin. This audit has provided additional rationale for our outdoor compost bin project, in addition to other zero waste outreach initiatives.
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