This engaging lecture explores the principles and practices of xeriscaping—a sustainable landscaping approach that reduces water use, enhances biodiversity, and mitigates the effects of urban development. Participants will examine the role of native and non-native drought-tolerant plants in creating resilient landscapes that align with regional climate cycles. Emphasis will be placed on sustainability, climate adaptation, and the ecological implications of plant selection.

The session also addresses the urban heat island (UHI) effect, illustrating how thoughtful xeriscape design can reduce surface temperatures, improve microclimates, and contribute to overall urban resilience. Through case studies and practical examples, attendees will learn how to integrate xeriscaping strategies in residential, commercial, and public spaces to conserve resources, support pollinators, and enhance aesthetic value while adapting to shifting climate patterns.

Whether you're a landscape professional, city planner, student, or homeowner, this lecture will provide the tools and insights needed to implement effective, climate-smart landscapes in a variety of environments.

Key Topics Covered:

• Fundamentals of xeriscaping and water-wise design
• Benefits and considerations of native vs. non-native plant species and pollinators.
• Understanding regional climate cycles and precipitation trends
• Mitigating the Urban Heat Island effect through landscape design
• Soil health, mulching, and efficient irrigation methods
• Real-world examples of successful xeriscape projects

Who Should Attend:
Landscape professionals, master gardeners, groundskeepers, nursery staff, and homeowners with an interest in sustainable gardening.

Format: In-person at the Cape Cod Community College, Hyannis Center location, 540 Main St., Hyannis.

Questions? Contact Elaine Brown at ebrown@capecod.edu or 508-375-5017. 

Strengthen judgment and problem-solving with practical tools grounded in everyday psychology and clear-thinking strategies. This workshop explores how stress, emotion, and mental shortcuts shape the way people make decisions, and how simple, evidence-supported techniques can boost focus and clarity. Participants learn straightforward decision frameworks that help them sort information, weigh options, and choose next steps with confidence. Through realistic scenarios, they practice making decisions that are faster, clearer, and more effective.

Ideal for: Managers, professionals, analysts, educators, emerging leaders.

Take away: A decision-mapping template and a cognitive-bias checklist.

Format: In-person at the Cape Cod Community College, Hyannis Center location, 540 Main St., Hyannis.

Questions: Contact Elaine Brown at ebrown@capecod.edu or 508-375-5017. 

Develop the practical skills needed to stay competitive as industries and roles evolve. Participants review real labor-market trends, assess the skills employers are prioritizing, and pinpoint their own strengths that can transfer across roles or sectors. They create a personalized upskilling plan that includes targeted learning goals, microcredentials, and career milestones. The session focuses on clear next steps, practical tools, and building a career strategy that can adapt as the workplace changes.

Ideal for: Faculty, mid-career professionals, job seekers, students.

Take away: A personalized Future-Readiness Career Plan.

Format: In-person at the Cape Cod Community College, Hyannis Center location, 540 Main St., Hyannis.

Questions: Contact Elaine Brown at ebrown@capecod.edu or 508-375-5017. 

Learn exactly how to turn your passion into a structured, mission-driven organization that can attract funding and deliver real impact. This three-session course breaks down the full startup process, including defining your mission, choosing the right 501 category, forming a board, and completing required state and federal filings. Participants also learn how to prepare for fiscal sponsorship as an early strategic step, including what sponsors look for and how to position your organization for acceptance and participants receive practical templates to move their nonprofit forward with confidence.

Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, community organizers, educators, veterans’ groups, nonprofit starters.

Take away: A Nonprofit Startup Action Plan, Board Engagement Template, and Structure Checklist.

Format: In-person at the Cape Cod Community College, Hyannis Center location, 540 Main St., Hyannis.

Questions: Contact Elaine Brown at ebrown@capecod.edu or 508-375-5017. 

ASIST is a 2-day program where participants learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.

Dates: 2 Days: Thursday, February 19 and Friday, February 20, 2026 from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Class Format: 14.00 hours approx. over 2 days (in person)

Location: Cape Cod Community College

The Cape and Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition has partnered with Cape Cod Community College and Cape & Island District Attorney's Office  to offer QPR, safeTALK, Mental Health First Aid, Sudden Death Postvention, and ASIST training programs that provide our communities with the necessary information and tools to raise awareness, educate, and increase action to reduce suicides.

Questions: Contact Val Duffy, CCAPE, at 508-375-5018 or email vduffy@capecod.edu 

ASL is a visual gestural language that is a native language among deaf individuals. This class is geared towards people who are new to American Sign Language or those who have an elementary introduction and wish to expand their knowledge. The goal is to take students with little or no knowledge of ASL and Deaf Culture and provide them with the skills needed to communicate comfortably in a variety of situations in the Deaf community.

This course is for those who have no experience with ASL or who need a refresher on the basics. Learn the ASL manual alphabet, numbers, greetings, feelings, expressions, family, time, clothes, body parts, and other basic conversational tools.

Course Format: 
This course is offered in person. 

Questions?
Contact Elaine Brown, Program Coordinator, at ebrown@capecod.edu or 508-375-5017.

This 40-hour course contains the 29 CFR 1910.120 regulatory overview, site and safety health plan, job hazard analysis, waste characterization, site investigation/audit, personal protective equipment, air monitoring, decontamination, SCBA use, basic principles of emergency response, introduction to confined space, and chemical hazards vs. physical hazards.

Course dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2/26-3/12/2026; 8:30am - 4:30pm

Class Format: This program is offered in person. 

Questions?
Contact Elaine Brown, Program Coordinator, at ebrown@capecod.edu or 508-375-5017.

This course is designed for individuals seeking initial certification as food service managers. As an accredited program, it provides comprehensive preparation for the ServSafe exam, which will be administered on the final day of class. The required textbook is included with enrollment, with two-weeks provided for study.

Class meets on 3/2 and 3/16/2026.

Who Should Attend: 
This program is for those in the food service industry who need to be certified in sufficient food safety knowledge to protect the public from foodborne illness.

Class Format: 
This program is offered in person.

Questions?
Contact Elaine Brown, Program Coordinator at ebrown@capecod.edu or 508-375-5017.