Our Mission

• BHCC is featured at the national Green Schools Visioning Session conducted by the United States Green Building Council. The College was one of only 5 schools selected to participate in the working session which will help to establish a platform for the USGBC's Center for Green Schools initiative.
• The Science Department launches its first 4-credit sustainability-themed lab course called Sustainability and Resource Conservation (ENV 511). The course fulfills requirements for General Education Area 5 "Science and Technology."
• BHCC receives a National Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature, a non-profit organization dedicated to making sustainable living the foundation of all learning and practice in higher education.
• BHCC faculty and students launch the Urban Organic Garden Project with individual plots cultivated by diverse stakeholders such as the Veterans Center, the Office of Community Engagement, the Science Department, BHCC Online Education, the Nursing Department, the Honors Program, the President's Climate Commitment and Sustainability Committee and the student Sustainability Club.
• BHCC launches new sustainability website; a comprehensive resource for students, faculty and staff. The site contains dozens of high definition images, information links and over 125 pages of sustainability-related information. In addition, it includes numerous animated slide shows and Green on-the-Streets video shorts featuring interviews with industry experts and utilizes social media tools.
• The Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Services and the Director of Sustainability convene the College's first Sustainability Focus Group with industry partners, academic experts and sustainability leaders. Participant feedback will help to calibrate sustainability-related curriculum development with specific industry needs.
• The Health and Wellness Center is designated as a drop-off location for weekly farm shares (fresh vegetables and fruits) available for faculty, staff and students at the college. Farm Shares are made available from the World Peas Cooperative that promotes local growing practices and education of immigrant farmers.
• The Office of Sustainability Management (OSM) launches the Sustainability Leadership Forum; a new venue designed to facilitate a discussion of sustainability issues and the feasibility of creating a Massachusetts Green Economy Network.
• BHCC faculty and staff create the first "LEED Research Internship." The new internship utilizes the LEED Certified Health and Wellness Center as a learning tool and is part of the successful Urban Massachusetts Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Project (UMLSAMP).
• The College adopts a new Green Car Parking Permit Policy that offers discounted parking for students who drive fuel efficient or low emissions vehicles.
• BHCC faculty and students organize a Farm Share Fair event that is created to promote sustainable agriculture best practices and the concept of "community supported agriculture (CSA)."
• The Health and Wellness Center receives LEED GOLD certification under version 2.2 of the United States Green Building Council's green building program.
• The Professional Development Committee selects "sustainability" as the theme for the spring 2011 professional development day event. This event features several sustainability-themed workshops and an educational tour of the state-of-the-art "Zero Sort" recycling facility built by Casella Waste Management.

• A new student Sustainability Club is formed and recognized by the Student Government Association.
• The College establishes long range, college-wide goals for sustainability that includes "Cultivating College-Wide Sustainability Initiatives."
• BHCC establishes a cabinet level position, the Director of Sustainability, the first in the history of any college in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, who has college-wide responsibility for integration of sustainable best practices.
• The President's Climate Commitment and Sustainability Committee creates the first-ever "Going Green Survey" designed to obtain information about interest in topics such as sustainable agriculture, community gardens, farmer's markets and the development of new curriculum at BHCC.
• BHCC institutes a college-wide policy of purchasing 30% recycled copy paper and eliminates large scale the printing of the annual 150 page Fact Book in an effort to reduce carbon footprint.
• BHCC faculty integrates sustainability within courses:
  - Computer Information Technology (CIT 113) uses kilowatt meters to measure energy usage of computers and peripherals
  - Introduction to Engineering (ENG101) students explore infrared thermography and hydroponics as part of final project research.
• The Professional Development Committee selects "sustainability" as the theme for the fall 2010 professional development day event. The event features international experts, targeted workshops and displays from Zipcar and MassRIDES.
• The President's Climate Commitment and Sustainability Committee submits a revised Greenhouse Gas Inventory and accompanying narrative to the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The new report includes refined data obtained from transportation surveys distributed the BHCC community.
• The BHCC Board of Trustees facilitates a dynamic presentation at a national conference. The presentation, Commitment to the Environment: Start a Sustainability Program at Your College, was delivered the American Community College Trustee Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada along with a climate action planning resources for all participants.
• The Director of Public Safety institutes the "paperless parking permit" process designed to eliminate unnecessary printing of parking permits for guests to the college at special events.
• In support of BHCC's long-term goal to promote sustainability and its mission to promote professional excellence, the Office of Academic Affairs and Student Services and the Office of Sustainability Management launch a new "Sustainable Mini-grant Program". This offers funding incentives for faculty and staff who propose innovative projects that integrate sustainability within existing courses or that benefit the college-wide pursuit of climate neutrality.

• The 48,000 square foot Heath and Wellness Center, under construction at Bunker Hill Community College, receives the 2008 Green Design Concept Award from Education Design Showcase.
• The President's Climate Commitment and Sustainability Committee submits the "Greenpact" Climate Action plan to the ACUPCC. This document details current and future mitigation strategies for the College.
• President's Climate Commitment and Sustainability Committee becomes an official standing committee within the College Forum.

• The President's Climate Commitment and Sustainability Committee develops three new institutional policies: Temperature Setpoint, Green Building and Waste Minimization to help reduce heating and cooling loads, to establish minimum standards for college building projects and to reduce unnecessary waste at the College.
• The President's Climate and Sustainability Committee develops a website presence for committee documents and associated resources for the BHCC community.
• BHCC submits a Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report to the ACUPCC.

• BHCC President Mary Fifield signs the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).
• A new Advisory Committee is formed to promote sustainability at the College. The President's Climate Commitment and Sustainability Committee is formed to carry out the mandates associated with being a signatory of the ACUPCC.
• BHCC develops plans for a high performing LEED certified building. The first new construction project at the College in over 40 years will be a Health and Wellness Center.

• Information Technology Services:
  OSM has worked with the IT Department to develop a template for measuring the energy used by computers and peripherals throughout the campus. In addition, OSM is helping to revise the tactical plan to include energy management benchmarking best practices and to measure the positive impacts of recent technology upgrades.
  BHCC Computer Standards
• Library Committee, Language Lab,
  Health and Wellness Center:
  OSM helped to facilitate internal collaborations to help reduce paper waste and to increase awareness of recycling best practices.
  BHCC Climate Impact Decision Assist Tool (CIDAT)
• Public Safety Department:
  OSM helped advise the BHCC Police Department on their efforts to reduce paper usage associated with printing parking permits. New procedures allow the process to be more fully automated and to reduce printed paper.
  On-line Parking Permit Policy.
  
  In addition, OSM consulted with the BHCC Police Department to investigate sustainable alternatives for speed bumps, parking lot signage, lighting and in researching emergency call box technology that includes solar panels and fuel cells for back up power.

External Partnerships broaden the range and scope of work conducted by OSM. They are instrumental in developing internship opportunities for students, in the pursuit of funding opportunities and the development of industry grounded educational programs. By maintaining on-going communications about our objectives and methods, we both learn from our peers and motivate other institutions and communities to set similarly ambitious goals.

• Casella Waste Management:
  OSM is working with this leader in waste management best practices and sustainability to create educational opportunities, develop curriculum and internships. Their state-of-the-art Zero Sort facility is an ideal educational laboratory for BHCC students faculty and staff interested in supporting college wide sustainability goals. Download and read our reprint Rediscovering Trash for more information.
• Common Boston:
  OSM is working with this volunteer committee of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) that organizes Boston’s only free, public festival that opens up the city to celebrate architecture and design in our neighborhoods.
  
  Each year, they feature events around a number of "common points" which are areas of activity, typically focused within one of Boston’s many neighborhoods. This year Charlestown will be on the roster of featured neighborhoods.
  
  OSM is currently collaborating with Common Boston in planning its summer festival of design, architecture and community that will include tours of select locations in Charlestown and a "D-party" kick off event.
• Sirius Integrator (SI):
  OSM is working with this new business venture focused on providing environmentally safe power options that may be used as primary or secondary remote power, standalone or in a solar hybrid configurations.
  
  SI is currently a new US Distributor of Smart Fuel Cell EFOY Pro fuel cell solutions & Fuel Cartridges for Physical & Homeland Security, Police Surveillance, Sensors, Industrial Communications etc, low voltage applications (<500w) focused on powering remote devices for long periods of time (several days, weeks and even months depending on load) without human intervention.
• United State Green Building Council:
  BHCC recently became an institutional member of the organization responsible for the creation of the Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) certification program. This affiliation has many benefits including resources to support pursuit of LEED certification for existing buildings on campus.
  
  Internal Partnerships help to develop comprehensive strategies for integration of sustainability throughout the institution. These partnerships are often project specific and include advisement of research, curriculum development and public awareness.

The Office of Sustainability (OSM) collaborated with BHCC faculty member Katherine Gustafson and Sharon Schaff, BHCC Internship coordinator to create an internship program for students interested in sustainability. This internship is part of the successful Urban Massachusetts Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Project  (UMLSAMP) that provides educational opportunities for underserved students.  

Students will learn basic principles of sustainability through the college's pursuit of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program created by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). BHCC's new health and wellness facility, which recently received LEED GOLD certification, will provide a "living laboratory' of study and research on sustainability related best practices.  

Students will assist with the collection of data and supporting documentation related to water and energy conservation measures, environmental stewardship, indoor air quality, green materials and occupant comfort that are required for on-line submissions. Internship requires regular meeting with faculty mentor, monthly journal submissions and written and oral presentation to college committees, student groups or community groups as appropriate.

Gardy Fortune
Gardy is a current BHCC student interested in sustainability. As part of the BHCC LEED Research Internship, Gardy is developing a compost lab at the school which will compare the decomposition rates of several types of media. Each dedicated compost bin contains different contents and the goal is to discover the most efficient process for producing rich, nutrient compost.

In addition, Gardy has been traveling to different schools in the Boston area and learning about different approaches to the concept of the community garden. Gardy adds "As Vice-President of the Sustainability Club, I feel, being able to interact with people is essential. This internship has allowed me to practice time management and learn how to prioritize my time efficiently while working on a number out different projects."


Ken Yuen
Kenneth is a student at BHCC in the Engineering Transfer Program with plans to attend either Tufts or Northeastern University in the near future.  Ken’s interest in green building began after designing and building a life-size catapult for a competition in the Massachusetts Junior Classical League.  He was interested in the LEED Research internship because he feels that sustainability is a vital part of the engineering process and important all around the world.

Ken’s current projects include developing a composting program, maintaining the urban organic garden laboratory and creating a spreadsheet resource that details the features a credit-by-credit comparison of LEED certified buildings in Boston.

For more information about eligibility for ULSAMP internships, please contact Paul Wolff, Director of Sustainability.

Brian Alves (BHCC '11) is a co-founder of the Sustainability Club and is passionate about environmental conservation. He plans to transfer to the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the Fall of 2011 and wants to integrate his interest in sustainability with his business studies.
 
Currently, Brian is working on developing a tour of the health and wellness center with Director of Sustainability Paul Wolff. The tour will include information about the history of the site of the building, which once was the old Charlestown Prison. It will also include explanation of features found in the building that helped to earn the recent LEED Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
 
Brian's research will culminate in the creation of a script that will be used to videotape the tour which will be posted on the OSM website and utilized in future student orientations and for visitors to the college.