Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.43
Liaison Michael Chapman
Submission Date Dec. 11, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Nova Scotia Community College
PAE-19: Community Sustainability Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 James Ellison
Faculty
School of Trades & Technology
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution participate in community sustainability partnerships that meet the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s sustainability partnerships with the local community:

In 2007, the NSCC President and the Mayor, Town of Wolfville signed a Memorandum of Understanding to "promote educational, social and community collaboration". The Town of Wolfville and NSCC, formed an innovative partnership to join municipal ecological protection efforts with active education. The Town and College are working towards building seeing the entire Town of Wolfville as an Arboretum.

The MoU includes the following general forms of cooperation:

1. Joint community-based educational activities to create pathways for student leaning;

2. Joint community-based educational activities to provide learning opportunities for the citizens of Wolfville;

3. Joint community-based educational activities to improve and enhance the local environment;

4. Joint community-based educational activities with a focus on wellness and sustainability as a means of improving quality of life;

5. Joint community-based educational activities to strengthen the economy of the Town of Wolfville;

6. Cooperation, collaboration, exchange and/or joint appointments of staff and/or faculty members for research, projects, and activities as a means of professional development.

"Through this agreement, both entities will begin collaborating on a learning strategy to respond to the needs of the students and community as well as the potential social, cultural and economic benefits for the area."

A focus on land stewardship, environmental and modern sustainable horticultural practices could link to schools throughout the province. The site could also be integrated into the High School science and biology curriculum as an onsite, outdoor classroom.
The proposed site was developed using sustainable practices and ecosystem based design guidelines. This approach will protect and sustain ecological vigor and biological variety.
The arboretum and subsequent plantings are an ongoing process. The following community as well as the potential social, cultural and economic benefits for the area can be attributed to the relationship of Town, Landscape Technology program and student involvement:

• Enhancement of existing green spaces
• Developing new vegetated spaces in the town core
• Expertise and services with the business core
• Potential marketing of horticultural events
• Complementing natural spaces and the surround agricultural industries
• Enhancing the retail experience through Horticulture within the business district

Horticulture students involved in the process gain the following;
• Service learning and community involvement
• A sense of community and contribution
• Portfolio based learning
• Exposure to industry
• Live site experience
• Student, industry and public collaboration on projects
• Exposure and direct involvement in participating and promoting “Green Space Values” and Ecosystem Based Design principles
• Learning in an outdoor classroom in some cases with former NSCC Horticulture graduates employed by the Town

To date, student and faculty involvement have included the following;
• Over 500 woody trees and shrubs have been planted throughout the Town
• Four small parks have been developed and planted
• Design work for the new Wolfville Farmers Market
• Substantial bulb and perennial plantings within the town
• In 2011 the Town of Wolfville Arboretum Project was selected and profiled internationally as a National Biodiversity Case Study through International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) “Local Governments for Sustainability” Canada
• Student work experience/placement and employment with the parks department

James Ellison, Faculty, NSCC


The website URL where information about sustainability partnerships is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.