Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.42
Liaison Jen Jones
Submission Date Feb. 18, 2020

STARS v2.2

College of Charleston
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
Stone Soup Collective, College of Charleston Chapter

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:

Launched in 2018, the student chapter of Stone Soup Collective echoes the local parent organization's efforts to combat food insecurity and food waste on campus. Students incorporate vegetables grown in campus gardens and surplus produce from local food hubs like GrowFood Carolina to make and distribute healthy, plant-based soup to Cougar students every week. Stone Soup partners include local activists, churches and campus institutions like Cougar Food Pantry.

You can read more about the program in the university publication The College Today at https://today.cofc.edu/2019/01/17/student-does-it-all-for-goodness-sake/ or view new updates and photos on its Instagram, @stonesoupcofc. And you can watch a video to learn more about the Charleston parent organization of Stone Soup Collective at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1465144386858671.


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
The 71 Percent Project

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):

Now celebrating its fifth year, The 71 Percent Project is a foundational community partnership through the Center for Sustainable Development. The initiative aims to educate community members about and advocate for environmental issues that impact the health of Charleston's waterways and the Atlantic Ocean.

The primary focuses of the partnership now are limiting or curbing entirely harmful plastic pollution and championing healthy, local and sustainable fisheries. Annually, Sustainable Seafood Dinners, beach and marsh sweeps, and lectures and workshops are held to promote sound environmental stewardship. These events and outreach strategies are closely connected to the university's efforts to combat food waste and insecurity, as well as promote sustainable lifestyles and more conscious consumerism.

The 71 Percent Project's partners include the South Carolina Aquarium, the Aquarium's Good Catch program, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Surfrider Foundation, local watermen and women and small businesses, the Gullah Geechee Nation, restaurants and area nonprofits.

You can learn more about the program at http://sustainability.cofc.edu/projects/waste-and-water-systems/71percent/index.php.


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
Social Justice Coffee Hour

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):

Social Justice Coffee Hour is a critical component of community partnerships and shared learning at the College, and it's housed within the Center for Sustainable Development. Organized in 2015 by two Cougar students, the program hosts regular panel discussions on timely or particularly relevant social justice topics, including gender inequality, immigration, gentrification, climate change and food security.

The university partners with various nonprofits, thought leaders and community activists to invite professionals off-campus to meet and share insights and knowledge with Cougar students, faculty and staff. Examples of previous community partners include GrowFood Carolina, Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities and Destiny Community Cafe. The Center for Sustainable Development funds light refreshments and educational-related fees to bring speakers to campus.

You can learn more about the program at http://sustainability.cofc.edu/projects/culture-and-community/social-justice-coffee-hour/index.php or read about its beginnings in The College Today at https://today.cofc.edu/2015/10/13/social-justice-coffee-hour/.


A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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