New College Celebrates Sarasota County Area Transit Partnership with Green Fest, January 30

New College of Florida will hold a one-day Green Fest on Saturday, January 30, celebrating the College’s newly-established partnership with Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) allowing New College students unlimited bus usage on SCAT buses. This new partnership was arranged at the end of the fall 2009 semester by the New College Student Alliance (NCSA) Secretary of Student Allocations Oliver Peckham and NCSA Vice President of Green Affairs Michael Dexter.

Green Fest will take place on Saturday, January 30, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on the East Campus “Z-Green,” directly behind the Harry Sudakoff Center (5845 General Dougher Place) off General Spaatz Boulevard, just north of the intersection of US 41 and University Parkway.  Events include student-led trips on public transportation to the Saturday Morning Farmers Market in downtown Sarasota, live music from local bands and free reusable grocery bags and CFL light bulbs for attendees. Organizers hope to encourage alternative transportation and other environmental initiatives, in order to help students become better stewards of the environment.

Funding for this program was provided by the NCSA Student Allocations Committee, the Office of Student Affairs, the Environmental Studies Program, as well as contributions from the outgoing and incoming presidents of the New College Student Alliance. Project organizers hope the New College/SCAT Partnership can eventually be expanded to include other colleges in the Sarasota-Bradenton area.

The event will include representatives from city, county, and state authorities as well as several non-profit and environmental organizations to further inform students of programs and opportunities in the community.  Organizations that will be attending include Sarasota County Area Transit, the Florida Department of Transportation, Alliance for Responsible Transportation, the Humane Society of Sarasota County and the Sierra Club, as well as several on-campus student organizations and volunteer coordinators.   Students and student government officials from State College of Florida, Ringling College of Art and Design and University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee have been invited to the event.

For more information on the event, contact Michael Dexter at [email protected].