Environmental Technology Center

"All education is environmental education.
By what is included or excluded,
students are taught that they are part of
or apart from the natural world.”
David Orr

Get Involved

Our vision for the ETC is to

create a volunteer-based

experiment which brings

together CGCC students, faculty,

K-12 students, community, and 
local businesses to plan and 
promote sustainable 
living practices. 

Your tax-deductiblecontributions made by way of 
financial support, materials, 
or labor donations will help bring 
to fruition this grass roots

community project in sustainable
design.

CGCC will highlight donors to this 
project in a variety of ways, including
recognition on an ETC donor wall, press 
releases, newspaper feature articles,
the college website, award programs, 
and recognition at college events.

The Environmental Technology Center (ETC) will provide a low-impact and cost-efficient living classroom that will serve as a hub for environmental education and resources for CGCC students, local schools, non-profit programs, and community members. The ETC will seek out ways of being sustainable while attempting to create a sense of place within the community.

Building materials used to construct this facility will flow with the natural environment, attempting to reduce energy demand by using various forms of solar energy, including solar panels and wind turbines. The area surrounding the working classroom will contain flower, herb, and vegetable gardens, composts, and demonstration areas.

An area designed for collaborative learning, the ETC will be used by CGCC faculty across all disciplines who are committed to integrating sustainability into their course curriculum, while advancing environmental awareness and an ethic of responsible stewardship through hands-on experience in a natural outdoor classroom.

Service-learning and experiential learning projects will allow students and community members the ability to work on the evolving structure of the ETC and its surrounding gardens. Students in engineering, science, geology, history, philosophy, communications, and information technology, to name a few, will work on projects directly relating to environmental issues.

For more information about the Environmental Technology Center, contact Project Coordinator Dr. Darien Ripple at 480.732.7182 or email darien.ripple@cgcmail.maricopa.edu or Student Coordinator Shannon Smith at 480.726.4113.

For information about donating to this project, contact Trina Larson at 480.732.7222 or email trina.larson@cgcmail.maricopa.edu.