A free organic produce giveaway, workshops on making natural sunscreen and building your own bike generator, and a cultural festival and upcycled art show are just a few highlights of Santa Monica College’s celebration of Earth Week, to be held starting Monday, April 20. Celebrations continue through Friday, April 24.
The college – considered one of the “greenest” campuses in the state – has a full lineup of activities for the week, all free and open to the public.
The scheduled events, all of which take place on the main SMC campus, 1900 Pico Blvd. (except the beach cleanup), are:
• Monday, April 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: “Students Feeding Students” will feature free organic produce donated from local farmer’s markets. The student-run Club Grow will organize cooking demos, food preservation and seed bomb workshops. Organic Learning Garden.
• Tuesday, April 21, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: “Can you be an environmentalist and still eat meat?” Debate hosted by SMC Staff and the Center for Environmental and Urban Studies (CEUS). Theater Arts Building.
• Tuesday, April 21, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: “Cowspiracy” Movie Night. Screening of a documentary that chronicles the pressing environmental issues of the meat industry, and finding a true path to sustainability. Free snacks. Cayton Center.
• Wednesday, April 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: “Workshop Wednesday” covers Do-it-Yourself workshops on making natural sunscreen, building a bike generator, urban foraging, greenwashing in the media, and more! Organic Learning Garden.
• Thursday, April 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: “Thriving Thursday” features a Cultural Festival & Upcycled Art Show with musical and native dance performances, live art, craft workshops, upcycled art displays, food truck and more! Main Campus quad.
• Friday, April 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: “Day of Service” for the SMC community to come together in a day of cleaning up the coast. Volunteers will meet at Tower 20 on Santa Monica Beach at the end of Bay Street.
SMC offers a number of innovative environmental courses and programs, including the state’s first Associate Degree in Recycling and Resource Management and also in Solar Photovoltaic Installation. In 2008, Santa Monica College joined over 600 colleges and universities in committing to reduce its carbon footprint through the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment.
In 2014, the college became the first community college in California – and one of the first two nationwide – to get a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) certification. Through its “Any Line, Any Time” program, SMC and its Associated Students provide free transportation to all students, faculty and staff on Big Blue Bus lines.
SMC partners with the Center for Environmental and Urban Studies on its main campus to provide a “live laboratory” and a hub for all the campus’s environmental activities, and features a recycling program for electronic waste and commercial worm composting. A smoke-free campus, SMC also has an organic learning garden and practices a “zero-waste” and recycling policy.
SMC Earth Week events are sponsored by the SMC Associated Students, student clubs Eco Action Club Grow, Plastic Free SMC, Bike SMC, and CEUS. For more information on Earth Week events, visit www.smc.edu/earthweek or call 310.434.3911.
