Scottsdale Community College to host 2009 ICEED Conference - Planting the Seed:  Growing Sustainable Practices

Scottsdale, AZ (March 25, 2009) – Speakers from across the US, Mexico and Canada will be in Scottsdale April 1–3, 2009 for the conference of the International Consortium for Educational and Economic Development (ICEED), hosted this year at the Chaparral Suites by Scottsdale Community College. Members of ICEED from across the US, Canada and Mexico, as well as faculty of the Maricopa Community Colleges, will participate.     

This year’s conference, Planting the Seed: Growing Sustainable Practices, will focus on sustainability and the greening of educational institutions and communities.  Guest speakers will introduce attendees to new sustainable development programs and educate them on the latest initiatives involving social responsibility on college campuses and in the community.

“Scottsdale Community College is honored to host the ICEED conference and we are especially excited about this year's focus on developing sustainable practices,” said Jan Gehler, SCC President.  “This conference will fuel dialogs critical to our respective countries and our ability to work together.”

ICEED brings together 2-year higher education and other educational institutions from México, Canada and the United States.  Members include College Presidents, Chancellors, Vice-Presidents, Directors of International Education, Directors of Economic Development, as well as faculty members.  ICEED currently holds a conference twice a year rotating the location among members in each country.

“Not only do members learn from other members through the two days of presentations, but they also have the chance to hear from other professionals and learn about the projects have been successful for them,” said Jen Sydow, SCC’s Education Abroad/International Student Advisor. 

Officials in attendance from ICEED will include Dr. Edward Hernandez, Jr., President of ICEED and Chancellor of Rancho Santiago Community College District in California; and Enrique Perez, Executive Director of ICEED and Assistant Vice Chancellor of Educational Services at Rancho Santiago Community College District in California. 

Presentation topics include:

·                                 Do you know your Carbon Footprint?

·                                 Think, Design, Build Green

·                                 Sister Cities Student Panel: Student Activism on the Rise

·                                 Infusing Sustainability into the Curriculum

·                                 Trilateral North American Academic Mobility Update

·                                 Growing Tips from the College

·                                 Renewable Energy – the North American Way

Presenters for the three-day meeting will include:

Thomas Williams, Chair, Scottsdale Community College Sustainability Committee

Charles Popeck, President, Green Ideas, Arizona

Pushpa Ramakrishna, Biology Faculty, Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Darien Ripple, Philosophy Faculty, Chandler-Gilbert Community College

The conference will open with welcome remarks by Dr. Jan Gehler, SCC President; Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs for the Maricopa Community College District; Jim Lane, Scottsdale Mayor; Dr Virginia Stahl, ICEED Board Member and Vice President of Student Affairs at SCC; Dr. Edward Hernandez Jr., ICEED President; and Enrique Perez, ICEED Executive Director.

For more information about ICEED and its members who will visit Scottsdale, go to www.iceed.com.

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Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.

To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.

Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu

(prs)