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SEED Center: Community Colleges & Policy

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SEED: Brought to you by AACC

A coordinated national strategy to support community colleges in building a green and

sustainable economy

Supported by the Kresge Foundation

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SEED is…

Leadership Initiative

Resource Centerwww.theseedcenter.org

Sharing Community

(441 colleges and growing…)

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444 SEED Colleges

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SEED Member Benefits• Access to curricular and other resources

• Regular webinars

• Scholarship opportunities for workshops

• Discounts/free ride to various national conferences as presenter

• Sustainability technical assistance and college-to-college mentoring

• And more…

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Policy-The Quickest Way to Sustainable Green Jobs

•Policy and regulatory changes at state/local levels: the strongest determinants of where green jobs will flourish

•Right now, hundreds of cities and states are considering new renewable standards, building code changes, tax credits….that will drive demand

• Community colleges can be a critical voice

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Green Policy Action Group: Join!Description: Organized cohort of community colleges interested in energy and related green regulations and public policies that: 1) lead directly to institutions becoming more energy efficient and green; and 2) promote a stronger green industry with job creation potential.

Outcomes:

• More colleges aware of regulations that impact their institutions

• Organized group prepared to influence regional and national energy /green-related policy

Activities:

• Webinars and phone conferences

• Conferences and meetings held as part of these conferences

• Ongoing policy alerts

• Local pilot projects

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Every One of These Policies has Implications for Colleges

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AACC’s SEED Policy Action Plan Toolkit written for you!

http://www.theseedcenter.org/Resources/SEED-Resources/SEED-Toolkits/AACC-s-SEED-Green-Action-Plan-Series

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SEED: Upcoming Next• New toolkit: Campus as a Living Laboratory: Using the

Built Environment as a Context for Learning & Preparing Students for Jobs in a Green Economy (Spring 2012)

• Workshop for Presidents and Senior Admin at AACC Convention: CEOs & Guiding Green Institutions. Tickets going fast!

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Upcoming SEED Project: Green Genome Initiative

• How to develop/deliver high-quality clean economy job training programs?

• How to integrate these efforts with other institutional sustainability efforts (campus greening, sustainability across curriculum…)

• What’s the role of the college in actually building a regional green economy?

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Green Genome Awards

• Awards will be based on the four institutional green competencies:

• Community Engagement

• Governance

• Program Design and Delivery

• Strategic Partnerships

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• Application released at AACC Convention in April (check www.theseedcenter.org )

• Four Winners—with $ reward—announced in fall

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Contact InfoTodd Cohen Sustainability@aacc.nche.edu

Shawn StrangeShawn.Strange@gmail.com

Deb RoweDGRowe@oaklandcc.edu