Our Mission:

• To foster a culture of resource conservation, social equity, and environmental stewardship at Pikes Peak State College.

Our Funding:

• We receive funding from a student fee called the Green Campus Fee. Students pay $0.39 per credit hour to support our modest operation budget and full-time coordinator of sustainability.  

Our services:

• Student Employment
  • We provide employment opportunities for all students.
• Student Engagement
  • We partner with staff and faculty to plan events and activities.
• Academics:
  • We support faculty in incorporating sustainability into their classes.
• Operations
  • We partner with staff to reduce waste, increase resource efficiency, and purchase sustainable products and services.
• Strategic Planning
  • We collaborate with administrators to incorporate sustainability into the college’s strategic plan and conduct college-wide sustainability assessments.
• Community Outreach
  • We partner with community organizations to mutually exchange resources and opportunities.

Since 2010, Pikes Peak State College is integrating sustainability concepts and practices into all courses that prepare transfer students to meet the general education requirements at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS).

Compass Curriculum

The Sustainability Club is a student organization with the purpose of bringing awareness, advocacy, and education about sustainability issues and lifestyle habits. Students can grow your network, develop emerging skills, adopt sustainable habits, and participate in real-world projects. You are welcome to participate in the Club’s activities when you have time. Send us email to join the club.

We recognize that the support of our community partners is critical to maximizing the impact of our sustainability efforts.

• Fountain Creek Watershed, Flood Control, and Greenway District

  • The Office of Sustainability participates the watershed-wide litter cleanup in Colorado called Creek Week Cleanup and Great American Cleanup. Also, we serve on the planning committee to grow the impact of the event each year.

• Pikes Peak Children's Water Festival

  • Pikes Peak State College hosts the annual event that gives over 800 District 11 4th graders a chance to learn about water, wildlife, and pollution in a fun, hands-on setting. The Office of Sustainability coordinates volunteers and campus resources.

• Pikes Peak Leaders in Sustainability

  • The Coordinator of Sustainability joins sustainability leaders from local cities, non-profit organizations, and colleges and universities to share our work and collaborate on projects. 

Food Assistance

• Food Pantries are available to students at all three campuses.
• The Mobile Food Market is held monthly during the semester for anyone in the community. 

Hydroponics

• The Culinary Arts Program teaches students and the community the concept of seed to plate by growing leafy vegetables indoors from a vertical hydroponic system.  
  • Office of Sustainability and Culinary Art Program was awarded grant from the El Paso County Investment Program.

Centennial Campus Courtyard Gardens

• In between the Aspen and Breckenridge Buildings, you will find beautiful gardens that host a large variety of native vegetation that support pollinators and the surrounding ecosystem. 

Mountain Metro Transit College Pass Program

• What is it? 
  • Students have unlimited access to the Mountain Metro Transit bus system with a swipe of their Student ID Card at the fare boxes. 
• How much does it cost?
  • Students pay a Bus Pass Fee of $5 per semester as part of their tuition and fees.
• When can I use the service?
  • Students can ride on Mountain Metro Transit buses year-round for both college and non-college-related travel. Bus service on Route 40 is limited to the fall and spring semesters. You lose access to the service on the class drop date of the next semester you are no longer enrolled in classes. 
• How do I ride?
  • Students can plan their trips using the smartphone application Google Maps. You can also visit Student Life to pick up pocket maps and route brochures. For new riders, visit Mountain Metro Transit's How to Ride website.  
• Why should I take the bus?
  • Economic: Students pay $10 per semester compared to $63 for a 31-Day pass. 
  • Social: The Student Bus Pass Program provides some of PPSC's most financially insecure students access to reliable, safe, and clean transportation.
  • Environmental: Reduce your carbon footprint. 
• Can I bring my bicycle on the bus?
  • Mountain Metro Transit buses can accommodate up to two bicycles. If the bike rack is full, please wait for the next bus. 
• How did this program come about?
  • Students overwhelmingly voted to approve the Bus Pass Fee during the Student Government Association 2018 Elections. 
  • The Office of Sustainability championed this program after hearing from students about the financial burden of paying $63 for a 31-day bus ticket. The Office negotiated with PPSC leadership and Mountain Metro Transit for four years to provide this essential service for students.  
• Mountain Metro Transit

Bicycling

• Bike Share Initiatives 
  • In the Spring of 2019, the Office of Sustainability partnered with PikeRide to offer free memberships for their bike-sharing service. Since the service was only available in Downtown Colorado Springs at the time, we hoped the program would appeal to students at PPSC's Downtown Studio Campus. They often voice frustration about finding parking or walking the two blocks from the Mountain Metro Transit Terminal. Unfortunately, there were not enough students interested despite our best efforts to promote the program.
  • In the Fall of 2019, the Office of Sustainability partnered with PikeRide again to pilot the bike-sharing service at PPSC's Centennial Campus. The two goals of this initiative were to introduce students to PikeRide and train them to use the underpass when traveling to the South Academy Highlands Shopping Center. We observed students dangerously attempting the cross a busy South Academy Boulevard where there is no crosswalk. We partnered with Mod Pizza to offer students a 50% discount on a meal for showing they used PikeRide. Once again, we were unable to get enough students to use these service. 
• Bike Month  
  • In the Summer of 2020, the sustainability coordinator rode his bicycle 20-miles per day during June. He produced a series of Bike Month YouTube videos that share tips on safely biking using the many trails throughout Colorado Springs.  

• Low-flow faucets, toilets, urinals, and showers in all facilities. 
• Low-water landscaping with the use of native plants, drip irrigation, and mulch or rock.   
• Leave undeveloped land undisturbed.

Pikes Peak State College is committed to reducing the supplies needed for operation and diverting waste from the landfill and into a production stream. 

Pack-It-In Pack-It-Out Program

• The 3rd Leave-No-Trace Principle of disposing of waste properly when visiting the great outdoors inspired this program. We encourage students, faculty, and instructors to take any trash or recyclables they brought into the classroom back out to the hallway to dispose of in a waste station. Please wait until the end of class to avoid disrupting the learning environment. This program does not change waste collection in laboratories. 
• Triple-bottom-line benefits:
  • Social: The removal of waste receptacles in the classroom decreases the spread of allergens and germs. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about two students per class have a food allergy (Source). Also, students waiting to eat food and dispose of their waste until after class minimizes distractions in the classroom.   
  • Economic/Financial: This program will save the college $37,000 in purchasing trash and recycling receptacles for over 200 classrooms across three campuses. Also, the consolidation of waste collection will provide custodial staff with more time to focus on other tasks, such as sanitizing surfaces. 
  • Environmental: The better-equipped hallway waste stations will reduce contamination in the recycling stream. This benefit helps the college retain its waste hauling service and ensure more recyclables end up as new products. 
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • What if I need to blow my nose?
    • If you are sick, we advise you to stay at home until you are better. Otherwise, we encourage you to blow your nose in a bathroom where you can wash your hands. You could also carry personal facial tissue and hand sanitizer. You can dispose of the tissue on the landfill side of a waste station.  
  • What if I ate food that was messy?
    • We advise students to wait until after class to eat food in one of our many lounge spaces. Eating food can distract other students from learning in the classroom. Make sure to wash your hands finishing your snack or meal. 

Recycling Program

• PPSC offers single-stream recycling throughout our three campuses. Look for waste stations with the blue opening and a chasing arrow symbol. These stations are made from recycled milk jugs! Also, graphic design students created the signs for the indoor waste stations. 
• The Office of Sustainability and the Department of Facilities and Operations co-managed the recycling program. Since 2012, they have made significant investments in upgrading the trash and recycling receptacles. The program also received funding from the PPSC Pilot Project and Campus Improvement Program and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's The Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) Grant Program. 
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • Can I drop-off my household recyclables? 
    • PPSC does not provide a public drop-off recycling service at any of our campuses. Please contact one of the many waste hauling companies to inquire about recycling and composting services. 
  • Is it recyclable? 
    • A general rule of thumb is "When in Doubt, Throw it Out." In other words, dispose of the item in the landfill (trash) receptacle to avoid potentially contaminating the entire recycling container. 
    • If you are a college employee, you are welcome to contact us using the form below. 
    • If you are at home, check out your waste hauler's website and the El Paso County Recycling Directory.
  • A custodian seems to be placing a bag of recycling into a rolling trash container. 
    • The custodial closets do not have enough space to accommodate separate waste containers for collecting trash and recycling. Custodians differentiate between the two using black bags for trash and clear bags for recycling.  
  • A custodian seems to be placing a bag of recycling into the landfill (trash) dumpster. 
    • Our trained custodial staff looks for wide-spread food and liquid contamination in the recycling receptacles. If a custodian identifies a bag with this issue, they will dispose of it in the landfill (trash) dumpster to avoid contaminating the entire recycling dumpster. This quality control step is critical to the college retaining its recycling hauling service. 

Hydration Station Program

• PPSC has invested in reusable water-bottle refilling stations throughout our three campuses. These stations dispense chilled and filtered water directly from snow-melt in the Rocky Mountains. This never-used before water rivals the quality of bottled water. The hydration stations significantly reduce waste generated from single-use bottled water.  
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • If the light on the station is red, the water is still safe to drink. If you are staff, please submit a facilities work order to replace the water filter. 

Single-Use Bottled-Water Policy

The State of Colorado banned the purchase of single-use bottle water using state funds. As a result, PPSC employees are not allowed to purchase this product for any official functions. 

Electronic or E-Waste Program

• Batteries: PPSC recycles all batteries purchased using state funds. 
• Computers: PPSC donates computers to local school districts. 
• We only offer e-waste recycling services for business purposes. For a list of services provided in the community, check out the El Paso County Recycling Directory. 

Composting

PPSC generates a small amount of pre-consumer food waste from our cafes, Culinary Arts Program, and the Child Development Centers. The Office of Sustainability is researching small-scale composting systems to trial at the Centennial Campus. They plan on using the compost for amending the soil in the courtyard gardens.