Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 59.37
Liaison Benjamin Newton
Submission Date March 3, 2020

STARS v2.2

Central Community College
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete N/A
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
eBadges in Leadership in Environmental Stewardship, Problem Solving, Symbiosis, and Community Involvement

A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:

An eBadge is an award that demonstrates a student’s knowledge and skills in environmental stewardship for either their field of study or personal application. e-Badge opportunities at CCC are for all fields of study and for all learners and are earned by demonstrating proficiencies in both knowledge and applied skills. For CCC students, earned e-Badges also appear on their co-curricular transcript and all learners can post the e-Badge award on their resumes and social media networks, which appeal to potential employers. The combination of e-Badge proficiencies creates opportunities for learners to become change-agents for an environmentally sustainable future and can give earners a competitive edge in their field of study. CCC students, employees and those outside the college can choose among multiple options, including credit courses, community education courses and other experiences.

The e-Badge launched in 2016 with six pilot courses. Currently, 127 students are registered and 17 students have completed e-Badge requirements.


Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Curriculum
Research
Campus Engagement

Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
EN-3 Student Life

A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
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Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
Pollinator gardens on 3 campuses and one center

A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:

CCC recognizes the important role that pollinators play in our lives. Since 2017, CCC has increased the number of native plants across its campuses and centers through the installation of pollinator gardens and native grass plantings.

The plants chosen are native to Nebraska, making them hardy, low-maintenance, able to endure cold and windy winters as well as hot and humid summers. Plants were chosen to bloom throughout three seasons to attract pollinator insects.

On May 11, 2017, Central Community College's Grand Island Campus was named a Bee Campus USA. Our campus became the 29th school in the U.S. to be given this designation. Later, the college as a whole became designated as a Bee Campus and is currently the only one in the state of Nebraska.

The Bee Campus USA program endorses a set of commitments, defined in an application, for creating sustainable habitats for pollinators, which are vital to feeding the planet. 1 in every 3 bites of food we eat is courtesy of insect pollination. Equally important, 90% of all wild plants and trees rely on pollinators for the survival of their species. Pollinators are facing global declines due to loss of habitat essential for food and shelter, diseases and parasites, and inappropriate pesticide use. Bee Campuses work to protect pollinators by raising awareness, enhancing pollinator habitats, and celebrating achievements.


Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Campus Engagement
Public Engagement
Grounds

Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
OP-10 Biodiversity

A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
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Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
Resilience Committee

A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:

As a signatory of Second Nature’s Climate Commitment, CCC must complete an annual greenhouse gas inventory, develop a climate action plan and facilitate a resilience committee. In 2018, all CCC campuses and the Kearney Center initiated resilience committees in each community.Second Nature defines resilience as the ability of a system or community to survive disruption and to anticipate, adapt, and flourish in the face of change. Resilience incorporates both short-term and long-term trends, and being able to thrive and adapt.Initial meetings focus on completing a campus-community resilience assessment, which identifies strengths and vulnerabilities on campus and in the local community across five dimensions of resilience:

Social Equity and Governance
•Few climate change education options
•Income disparity between populations

Health and Wellness
•Little access to mental health services
•Poor nutritional food choices despite availability
•Few affordable housing options based on standard of living

Ecosystem Services
•Access to outdoor recreation
•Emphasis on monoculture commodity agriculture crops resulting in lack of biodiversity
•Pesticide and fertilizer contamination affect water quality

Infrastructure
•Limited alternative transportation options
•Communication/emergency planning in place, but only in one language

Economic
•Economy is focused on agriculture
•Very few tax incentives for renewable energy/energy efficiency upgrades
•Citizens with higher education often leave area for other job opportunities


Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Public Engagement
Coordination & Planning
Wellbeing & Work

Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
EN-10 Community Partnerships

A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

To date 20 students have completed the one of the four eBadges with 150 registered and counting in 2020...


To date 20 students have completed the one of the four eBadges with 150 registered and counting in 2020...

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.