May Sustainable Dallas College Newsletter

By Press release submission

May 25, 2022

Many people have experienced climate change, but they don’t realize it. Climate change is causing increased flooding, wildfires, droughts, and other climate and environmental disasters that are happening with much greater frequency. We are looking for students, employees and community members who:

have a climate change story to tell
are willing to share how climate change has affected them and/or their families
can spend a little time in our professional television studio and tell their stories on camera

We’ll use these professionally produced videos to help build awareness that climate change is real, it’s happening now and it’s caused by human activities. Send us your story. (We just need a few paragraphs.) Here are some questions to answer in your brief email:

How have you or your family personally experienced the effects of climate change?
What challenges did you face?
What do you remember about the climate growing up when compared to the climate today?
Did you have to move because of climate change?
What concerns do you have as the climate changes?

The videos will be shot in Dallas College’s television studio at the LeCroy Center (on the Richland Campus) Sept 20-21. Email your story to fdavis@dcccd.edu with the subject line “My Climate Change Story.” Be sure to include your telephone number so we can reach you if your story is selected!

Sustainability Staff Moves Back to the Campuses!

By Georgeann Moss, Senior Director of Sustainability

During the transition to one college, the Sustainability Team members at the seven campuses were consolidated into the new Office of Sustainability and relocated to the college Administrative Office at 1601 Botham Jean Blvd. in downtown Dallas. We spent over a year doing the exciting and challenging work of planning and building a cohesive and productive new team, but their presence was missed at the campuses.

Of course, we learned during the pandemic that team members can be in different physical locations and still collaborate effectively. So, the team members recently moved back to the Dallas College campuses to provide the on-site support the campuses were missing.

Dallas College’s commitment to sustainability centers around the principle that our individual decisions have an impact on the world around us.

The Dallas College Sustainability staff is working to educate our students, employees and community on sustainability topics and solutions that will empower them to make choices that have a positive impact on the environment.

The next time you’re on the campuses below, we encourage you to stop by their offices to meet them or just send them an email.

Each team member has a specific area of responsibility. If they can’t help you get what you need, they will be able to put you in touch with the right person on the team.

Faye Davis

Assistant Director of Sustainability, Outreach and Engagement (public programs/events; student green clubs; sustainability communications and social media)

Richland Campus, Office WH282

fdavis@dcccd.edu

Sonia Ford

Assistant Director of Sustainability, Assessment (Tree Campus Higher Education USA; E-Waste Recycling events; measuring our success)

Brookhaven Campus, Office A220

sford@dcccd.edu

Neil Kaufman

Assistant Director of Sustainability, Urban Agriculture (campus gardens, hydroponics, sustainable/edible landscaping)

Mountain View Campus, Office W163L

nkaufman@dcccd.edu

Lori Delacruz Lewis

Assistant Director of Sustainability, Education (Reframing the Curriculum for faculty; GIS Across the Curriculum; sustainability workshops/webinars for students and employees)

North Lake Campus, Office T150B

ldelacruz@dcccd.edu

Brandon Morton

Assistant Director of Sustainability, Operations (AASHE STARS reporting; Resilience and Climate Action Plan; sustainable purchasing initiative)

Eastfield Campus, Office W117-B

bmorton@dcccd.edu

Introducing a New Phase in Sustainable U Programming

At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Dallas College introduced weekly, live Sustainable U webinars to showcase the sustainable solutions being implemented by local organizations and to stay connected with our students, employees and community. It’s time to start re-building our in-person, on-campus activities. We will continue to offer online programs, but not on a weekly basis. This newsletter will continue to alert you of both online and in person sustainability programs. If you have topic or speaker suggestions for the fall, please send them to Sustainability@dcccd.edu.

Dallas CASA: Helping Children and the Community

June 7, 2022

Noon to 1 p.m.

Dallas CASA advocates in the community and the courtroom for children in the protective care of the state so they can grow up in safe, permanent homes where they can thrive. Dallas CASA envisions a day when all child victims of abuse and neglect can grow up in safe and nurturing homes where they can reach their full potential.

Last year, 1,539 volunteers served 3,113 children in Dallas County. Since the inception of CASA advocacy, Dallas volunteers have helped thousands of children find safe, permanent homes. Today, more than 76,000 advocates serve in nearly 1,000 state and local program offices nationwide.

Register to hear a Dallas CASA spokesperson talk about their impact on the Dallas Community and learn what you can do to help.

Planting Seeds to Growing Profits: Dallas Half Acre Farms

June 21, 2022

Noon to 1 p.m.

Can you imagine a farm that uses no mechanical devices, zero gasoline, minimal electricity and absolutely no chemicals? Well, look no further than Dallas Half Acre Farms located in southeast Dallas! Owner and operator Michael Blell built Dallas Half Acre Farms to fill the high demand for fresh, local, organic vegetables in Dallas and has “grown” it into a profitable business. Register to hear Michael talk about how Dallas Half Acre Farms came to be and its success. About Michael Blell Michael Blell is an organic vegetable farmer here in Dallas. He owns and operates Dallas Half Acre Farms, which is located a mile south of Belt Line Road off I-20. He calls his type of farming “market gardening.” It’s also known as spin farming, and some also call it urban farming. This year will be his sixth season farming part time and teaching elementary physical education full time in Mesquite. He grows mainly seasonal vegetables with an emphasis on year-round salad mix.

E-Waste Recycling Events

June 16 — Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus (rescheduled from October) — Parking Lot S1
July 21 — Dallas College Pleasant Grove Center (rescheduled from January) — Parking Lot

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