**Updated 8:13 11/19/2013** This article contained several errors that have now been corrected.
Fresno City College is making a push to increase recycling around campus, and both teachers and students are getting involved.
Dorothy “Dot” Sedley has led the way in FCC’s pledge to recycle on campus.
Thanks to Sedley’s efforts, blue recycling containers have become quite visible throughout campus and in many classrooms. She has championed this cause since retiring from teaching.
Since then, Sedley’s efforts have turned into a way to help students, different divisions and programs on campus and the athletic department. She said she is committed to giving back to the college and improving FCC.
Since 2010, Sedley has given FCC a total of $65,000, all going to various divisions on campus.
“After 2010, I felt comfortable enough to partner with the local conservation corp,” said Sedley. “With the help of the student organization called Sustainable Action, we were able to get the blue recycling bins on campus for free.”
The blue bins are located next to each trash – can on campus, so when getting ready to throw away trash or a plastic bottle, make sure you throw it in the correct one.
Sedley helped the FCC Orchestra raise funds for a trip to Carnegie Hall and is also helping the choral group raise funds for a trip to Spain in the Spring.
The program has also given $10,000 to Math, Science,and Arts Division, which is currently deciding how it will spend the money.
With Sedley’s help, the local conservation corp. collects recyclables on campus and send the money to SCCCD and the district decides who gets the money. The group also does garden work in the community and are dedicated to making this community more friendly.
Fresno Local Conservation Corp has been helping create youth success in Fresno for two decades; it’s a project by the Fresno County Opportunity Commission that gives young adults ages 18-25 a chance to work in environmental jobs.
Ellis Parley, an FCC student works for the local conservation corp.
“Recycling on campus has helped me a lot, and cleaning around the community, we help keep the campus clean. You’ll see us recycling at the [FCC] football games, at Fresno State football games, at the local high schools.”
Faculty members are also helping by bringing bottles and plastic from home and giving them to Sedley,
“Sedley is so unassumingly amazing,” said Cris Bremer, director of marketing and communication at FCC. “She has helped so many students with recycling on campus.”
“If FCC students knew how much recycling was affecting them in the classroom, every student would be helping,” said Sedley.
Sedley also started the “Go Green Scholarship,” a $1,000 scholarship awarded to an FCC student who demonstrates financial need and is active in conservation, environmental, recycling on campus or the community. The scholarship has been involved in with recycling on campus since 1998
“The scholarship started as just a way to give money to the fundraiser for the OAB building,” Seedley said. “One thing led to another and I raised $10,000 for the endowment for the scholarship.”
Sedley said that it’s up to the students on campus to take advantage of it, and the many rewards will be seen throughout the different programs and divisions on campus.
