July 19, 2024 – On June 28, ten local high school students from the Environmental Ambassadors Program, sponsored by the Cultural Arts Coalition of Gainesville, visited Santa Fe College to learn about the sustainable practices at the Northwest Campus. The Environmental Ambassadors Program, which has been in operation for 35 years, provides summer employment for teens. During their workdays, the students learn basic job skills such as punctuality, appropriate dress and interacting with supervisors, while also gaining knowledge on how to protect our precious natural resources.
Their tour began with a visit to Santa Fe College’s HVAC chiller facility. Timothy Tenbroeck introduced the Environmental Ambassadors to the basics of commercial HVAC systems, highlighting the technology and practices used to save college resources.
Next, the group visited the SF Teaching Zoo, where Jade Woodling discussed conservation practices and covered basic daily activities that everyone can do to help conserve resources both globally and locally. The tour concluded at the Charles R. Perry Construction Institute, where they learned about its solar systems, programs, and the Habitat House.
NKwanda Jah, Executive Director of the Cultural Arts Coalition, expressed gratitude to Tom Mason for hosting the Ambassadors and shared her enthusiasm: “The chiller plant facility was fascinating. Jade did an outstanding job of educating us about the Zoo. It was an eye opener as to the influence [the] Santa Fe [College] Zoo has on the country in terms of what is offered and shared. It was unbelievable to some of the students that you really are building houses.”