Kalamazoo Valley Community College awarded nearly half a million dollars for sustainable agriculture and landscaping programs
The USDA awarded KVCC a grant to develop degree and non-degree programs for training in sustainable agriculture and landscaping. Those in charge of the creation of these programs will seek input from local industry leaders and tap into faculty expertise.
A three-year project at Kalamazoo Valley Community College will create a certificate and a degree program in Sustainable Systems for Horticulture, Agriculture, and Urban Landscapes (SSHAUL) to be launched in 2023. The college will have non-credit courses available by fall 2021 for current industry professionals. A USDA grant of $497,000 will fund the project, and those involved with the project will reach out to industry partners to identify in-demand skills and use an interdisciplinary approach, relying on the expertise of faculty from multiple departments.
According to a Kalamazoo Valley Community College news release, SSHAUL will be led by newly hired Dr. Sara Tanis, who joined KVCC in June as the director of the program. Coming to the college with a background in urban ecology, horticulture, and forestry, Tanis said, "I am excited to support students finding career paths that will also build resilience in our community. I'm also excited about joining the team at Kalamazoo Valley. I've long been impressed with the college's focus on sustainability and I'm anxious to get started."
The plan includes collaboration with local industry partners to assess what skills are most in-demand for area employers. Former Director of the Horticulture and Landscape Management program at Lansing Community College, Robert Welch, will take a leadership role in designing the curriculum. Welch emphasized the importance of adapting to new trends in the industry. "The Green Industry is growing and changing, and Michigan needs an accessible and relevant program to meet employers' needs," Welch said.
The new curriculum will focus on topics such as landscape management and the cultivation of crops that produce food, support sustainable business, and reduce the impacts of climate change. KVCC's Director for Sustainable Food Systems, Rachel Bair, said, "We are launching this program at a time of great change and great opportunity in our world and the green industry. Landscape and agriculture jobs are safe, essential and critical to the future. We're seeing great demand for skilled workers and wide opportunity for entrepreneurship in these fields."
The news release also explains that the program will adopt an interdisciplinary approach, modeled on programs run by Bronson Healthy Living Campus (BHLC). BHLC programs include workforce training focused on helping students find solutions to complex challenges across disciplines, such as bringing culinary arts students to help with urban farms.