Rio Hondo College designated a 'Clean California' community after student volunteer projects

Rio Hondo College was designated a "clean community" by the Clean California program after roughly 50 student volunteers helped clean and improve the campus, a presenter said.

The presenter said the volunteer effort, which included students working through a campus program called Colicorp, met the requirements for the state designation. "El trabajo de 50 voluntarios como Noelia ha logrado que el Colegio Comunitario Río Hondo recibiera la designación de comunidad limpia de California," the presenter said during the briefing.

A meeting participant described what volunteers did on the ground, saying the campus has changed substantially. "Significa mucho, porque da mucho orgullo saber que estamos haciendo un esfuerzo para ayudar a la comunidad. Estamos poniendo nuestro granito de arena... manteniendo los espacios públicos más limpios para toda la comunidad," the participant said, citing raised garden beds and plantings of lettuce, cilantro and native species.

According to the presenter, the campus changes and student-led tasks allowed Rio Hondo College to satisfy the program's criteria; the presenter noted that the recognition is held by only 45 communities in California. The presenter added that the Clean California program seeks to involve more young people across the state.

The briefing did not provide funding amounts, implementation timelines, or details about how communities are selected beyond meeting program requirements. The campus program name was given as "Colicorp" in the briefing; spelling and formal program ties were not clarified in the transcript.

The announcement frames student volunteerism and campus gardening as central elements in Rio Hondo's designation as a Clean California community.