The Community College Initiative (CCI) Program’s annual midyear Pathways to Success Program is fast approaching. This year all 211 CCI participants from 14 community college campuses across the Unites States will be joining together in Arizona for a week-long program “designed to build participant skills in leadership, reflection and goal setting while developing the CCI alumni network and enjoying excursions to key U.S. historical and cultural sites.” As part of the 2017 PSP, the CCI Program will undertake a massive, collaborative service event to restore the historic orchard and grounds at Lonely Dell Ranch in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
On Jan 10, 2017, our 211 students and 22 staff will work together to revitalize “one of the most important historic sites on the Colorado River as part of an education and service-based collaboration between the U.S. Department of State’s Community College Initiative Program and the National Park Service.” This revitalization effort was designed to celebrate the Community College Initiative Program’s ten-year anniversary, and commemorate 100 years of the U.S. National Park Service by “Sowing Seeds of Good Intentions for the Future.”
As stated in the National Park Service press release: “The participants in the Community College Initiative Program will plant new trees in the orchard to replace trees that have died, prune and maintain healthy trees, and work on irrigation systems from three different historic time periods to keep the orchard green and lush for future visitors, many of whom are direct descendants of the original pioneers who established Lonely Dell.”
Lonely Dell (photo courtesy of National Park Service)
CCI alumni from all 10 years of the program have also been invited to virtually join in this service event and celebrate 10 years of the CCI Program by planting a seed in their home countries as part of the CCI Program’s #CCISeeds initiative. The CCI Seeds initiative has already rippled to 8 countries, including the United States.
Read the full National Park Service Press Release here.
Read more about the CCI Program’s 10 Year Anniversary Celebration here.