Join in the on-campus fun and take part in events that fund scholarships, raise awareness and support student ideas happening year-round!
Sustainability events
From Farm to Fork: How to Integrate Local Foods into Restaurants and Dining Operations – Open Presentation
Wed. Mar. 25 | 1-1.50 p.m. | CoLab (OCB 100)
From fresh ingredients to local food logistics – learn from the best with professional chef, culinary teaching expert, and Kansas City restaurant owner, Chef Michael Foust.
Join Chef Foust for an exciting presentation as he shares his experience of the changing culinary world, farm-to-table models, and his personal challenges and successes with food logistics in local restaurants and institutional dining operations.
The presentation is FREE and open to students, faculty, and staff. Light snacks and beverages provided!
About Chef Michael Foust
Michael Foust was on vacation with his family in Seattle, when the sights, smells, and sounds of Pike Place Market made an indelible mark on the 8-year-old. His parents explained the origins of cinnamon, saffron, and other spices across the farmer’s market, sparking a lifelong passion for the culture of food.
After high school, Foust traveled the world, worked kitchens, and gained experience in some of America’s finest dining establishments. Eventually, Foust enrolled in Portland’s Western Culinary Institute and Le Cordon Bleu in France.
In 2008, Foust returned home to Kansas City, opening The Farmhouse in July 2009, and leading the city’s growing farm-to-table movement. In 2019, he opened Black Sheep on Kansas City’s 39th Street, where he continues his tradition of showcasing local farmers, producers, and food artisans in from-scratch menus featuring carnivore, vegetarian, and vegan dishes.
Foust pivoted his restaurant during the 2020 pandemic to Black Sheep Community Kitchen and Market – a donation model where his team served more than 16,400 hot meals to those in need and became a member of Chef Collective KC, a network of chefs, industry partners, and local growers using a centralized approach to preserve the food system.
A well-known culinary philanthropist, Foust’s works with Cultivate KC, Cornerstones of Care, Harvesters, Gibbs Road Farm, March of Dimes, Head Strong, Juniper Gardens, Roots for Refugees, and Sheffield Place, among others. Foust also serves as the Primary Catering Chef at Powell Gardens, the region’s botanical garden that includes the Heartland Harvest Garden, an edible landscape that Foust uses as a resource in dishes he prepares. He also currently works as the Director of Culinary for Higher Education and K-12 at American Dining Creations.
Earth Days
From Farm to Fork
Wed. Mar. 25 | 1-1:50 p.m. | CoLab (OCB 100)
From fresh ingredients in cooking to local food logistics, learn from Chef Michael Foust, Kansas City restaurant owner.
Eco Exchange Bins
Apr. 1-30
Eco Exchange Bins will be located outside CoLab (OCB 100), MTC 2 near elevators, CLB 2 near elevator, and SC Bookstore.
Blue Jeans Go Green
Recycle your worn denim! Follow signs on campus.
Household Goods
Donate your small housewares, kitchen items, and décor, to help students outfit their first living space. Items will be used for Thrift and Thrive, a free student event Sep. 16.
You can also donate clothing, school or craft supplies, and other small items to be sorted and sent to local non-profits including the Student Basic Needs Center, GEB 153.
Personal Shredding
It’s tax time! Load your personal papers into a secure shredding bin on campus to be shredded and recycled in collaboration with the JCCC Warehouse.
Garden Party
Wed. Apr. 1 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | COM Plaza
The Open Petal Farm will have plant starts and fresh produce for sale.
Recycling Extravaganza
Sat. Apr. 11 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | enter off College Blvd.
Recycle almost anything at Johnson County’s biggest recycling event! Dispose of electronics, medications, tires, Styrofoam, and paper; or donate shoes, clothing, building materials, furniture, eyeglasses, hearing aids, musical instruments, creative supplies, fabric, bikes, pet supplies, and books. Some fees might apply on TVs – cash or card accepted. No residency requirement. Volunteers needed! Find the full list of items, or sign up to volunteer on the OP Kansas site.
Un-Can-it for the Planet
Wed. Apr. 15 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | COM Plaza
Dive in and help compost expired food from the Student Basic Needs Center (BNC) by opening cans and jars to dump the food into compost bins to be composted at JCCC’s onsite compost facility. You can also bring your own expired or stale food to the event to be composted.
Epicenter – Science Based Hope in an Age of Climate Change
Thu. Apr. 23, 2026 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | Hudson Auditorium, NMOCA
Register by April 19 for one or more sessions of this free conference. Free vegetarian breakfast and lunch provided for attendees.
Repair Fair
Wed. Apr. 29
Free Car Inspection and Maintenance Demo
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Clock West lot
Take 10-15 minutes to drive-up for a FREE fluid and tire pressure check with an automotive tech student. They will top off your wiper fluid, put air in your tires, if needed, and show you how to do these things yourself. Free tire pressure gauges available.
Free Clothing Repair
10 a.m.-2 p.m. | COM Atrium
Sewists will be on campus to patch holes, replace buttons, fix busted seams, or replace a zipper you provide. Bring up to two pieces of clean clothing. *Sewists are not responsible for damages and may refuse any repair.
Epicenter
JCCC Epicenter 2026: The Future Isn’t Lost: Science-Based Hope in an Age of Climate Change
April 23, 2026 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Explore action-oriented climate solutions for the Kansas City region! Epicenter is a free, annual conference geared for high school juniors/seniors and college undergrads looking to learn the latest in sustainability trends.
Harvest Days 2026
More information to come for fall events.