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JCCC is a Top 10 Community College for Sustainability

September 24, 2019

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – What do you get when you save $3.6 million in utility costs over eight years, and compost 95,000 pounds of food waste plus divert 60% of your waste stream from landfills in a single year? A top ranking from one of North America’s most prestigious collegiate sustainability advocate groups.

Johnson County Community College has been named a Top Performer in the 2019 Sustainable Campus Index, provided by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). JCCC boasts the No. 10 spot overall among associate college institutions and No. 6 in the United States.

This acknowledgement shows the College is setting a local standard, shrinking its ecological footprint and encouraging our community to be planet friendly.

“We are perceived in the region as a leader in promoting sustainability,” said Jay Antle, Executive Director of the Sustainability Center and a History Professor. “This ranking is a validation that we are doing good work here. The systems and programs we have in place provide serious and meaningful results. We are not green washing.”

Nearly 700 colleges in North America make up the AASHE’s membership base, from community and tribal colleges to state, private and Ivy League universities. Currently, 127 members are community colleges.

“We are happy to recognize JCCC for its leadership in advancing sustainability,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “I’m grateful for the work being done by this institution to help move society toward a more equitable and sustainable future.”

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