Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.45
Liaison Benjamin Newton
Submission Date March 3, 2023

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:
Degrees Food Truck training program to grow sustainable culinary businesses.

A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
The Degrees food truck was created to support students enrolled in the Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts program. Outside the bounds of traditional classrooms or kitchen settings, the food truck is utilized to teach students applied event and hospitality management techniques. Sustainable practices are heavily emphasized in associated coursework and program requirements.

Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Campus Engagement
Public Engagement
Food & Dining

Optional Fields

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:

Second Point of Distinction

Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
Native Nebraska pollinator gardens on three 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?:
Curriculum
Campus Engagement
Public Engagement
Air & Climate
Grounds
Water
Coordination & Planning

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:

Third Point of Distinction

Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
Groundwater Festival led by Sustainability staff

A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Students engage in multiple stations with fifth graders across Nebraska, they engage in various activities pertaining to erosion, native plants, soil quality, pollinator and rain gardens related to the quantity and quality of the groundwater filtration.

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

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:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://central.newschannelnebraska.com/story/46226523/ccc-debuts-degrees-new-culinary-arts-food-truck

https://kearneyhub.com/news/local/central-community-college-to-debut-its-culinary-arts-food-truck/article_39089f3a-b429-11ec-afd3-23e0346a44e0.html

https://theindependent.com/news/local/central-community-college-to-debut-its-culinary-arts-food-truck/article_9579004c-5243-5374-9b45-5230bc11c5d7.html

Sustainability focus in article:
https://www.hastingstribune.com/news/ccc-debuts-food-truck/article_83e268b4-c294-11ec-972f-63602415d70f.html

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.