Seattle Central College
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Seattle Culinary Academy (SCA) is one of the first culinary schools in the nation to offer formal coursework in sustainability, highlighting the value of local and seasonal sourcing. In addition, the program integrates health and environmental sustainability throughout the educational experience. Instrumental in aligning the values of the SCA team was their experience at Quillisacut Farm School in Rice, Washington. Many of the faculty and students have attended Quillisacut (every year 10 students are awarded scholarships to attend)during the summer to learn the farm-to-table continuum, to understand where their food comes from and how to cook and eat for a better future. Sustainable Food Systems Practices (CUL 151, 152, and 153) address key food system issues from producer to consumer. CUL 251 and 255 were developed to connect Culinary Art students to the Skagit Valley community and partners. Every summer, students travel to Skagit County. With over 700 farms from which to choose, students tour through various farms and learn first-hand about sustainable production practices. Before returning home, they get their hands in the dirt at LaConner Flats learning how to plant, tend, and harvest on a two-acre parcel of land donated to SCA. Here, the students become attuned to the incomparable quality and flavor of fresh ingredients while enhancing their awareness of environmental issues. Completing the food cycle, the produce harvested that day is incorporated into their menus. From seed to maturity, SCA students learn all about edible gardening in Seattle Central's Plant Science Lab (PSL)/greenhouse. Focus is on herb identification and the delicious contribution each makes to the recipes prepared in our kitchens back at the SCA. Seattle Culinary Academy also works collaboratively with the Science and Math department to plant and utilize heritage seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, a nationally recognized organization of people who are committed to "collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity." The plants grown from the Seed Savers Exchange are used in the student run dining rooms to enhance seasonal and local cuisine. The commitment to organic growing in the PSL underscores our ongoing education in sustainable practices and the joys of urban farming.

Intiman Theatre and Seattle Central College (SCC) have formed a partnership that will offer a new associate degree program emphasis in Technical Theatre for Social Justice (TTSJ), as well as a residency for the Tony-award winning theatre. This new partnership provides a home for Intiman’s professional productions at Seattle Central’s Broadway Performance Hall and The Erickson Theatre Off-Broadway. Intiman’s administrative offices, costume and scene shops, and rehearsals have also been relocated to the SCC campus, which is centrally located in Capitol Hill.

This new associate program emphasis is a unique community partnership that connects a curriculum degree emphasis with a community need. In addition to creating a unique partnership, this degree emphasis fills a need to create programs to recruit students of color and focus on social justice issues. Over half of students enrolled at SCC are students of color, and alum of the STARFISH Project are over 70% students of color. The field of technical theatre has historically lacked people of color in its ranks, and Intiman and SCC are committed to creating an equitable and accessible pathway to paid jobs for these students.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is the labor union that represents technical workers for theatre, film and television, concert venues and more. The TTSJ degree emphasis will provide the necessary training and apprenticeship hours to apply to join IATSE upon graduation, leveling the playing field for people of color and eliminating one of the key barriers to access: getting the chance to apprentice.

The new TTSJ associate program emphasis is designed to provide a next step for the high school students in Intiman’s STARFISH Project, a free after school technical theatre training program that has been offered in South Seattle high schools for the past five years. Graduates of Seattle Public Schools are eligible to enroll in the Seattle Promise initiative to receive free tuition and support services.

The Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems program at Seattle Central College provides students and community members with knowledge and skills in agroecological sciences, natural resource management, and environmental science and conservation. With an emphasis on ‘urban’ organic agriculture in western Washington, this program trains participants to sustainably manage production and operations as the underpinning of a resilient, equitable, and local food system.

Learning outcomes for Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAgE)program
1. Analyze and evaluate local to global food system dynamics and trends (Think)
2. Apply ecological principles to food production and natural resources management and conservation (Think)
3. Identify a network of community resources working toward bioregional sustainability (Collaborate)
4. Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and real-world experience in future education and/or work environments (Connect, Continue Learning)
5. Visualize and create a personal, academic, and/or professional track in sustainable agriculture (Continue Learning)