Santa Monica College, one of the “greenest” campuses in the state, will celebrate Earth Week April 23-27 with activities ranging from an eco-raffle, including a new commuter bike, and a beach clean-up.

Van Jones will make the Earth Week keynote address, “Green Jobs and Beyond,” on Tuesday, April 24, at 11:15 a.m.

Senior Fellow at American Progress and an expert on green-collar jobs, Jones will talk about the growing new movement to reform America’s economy and improve the lives of Americans and the planet. Jones is a globally recognized, award-winning pioneer in human rights and the clean energy economy and author of the recently released New York Times Best Seller, “Rebuild the Dream.” SMC Theatre Arts Main Stage.

All events, except the beach clean-up of course, will take place on the SMC main campus, 1900 Pico Boulevard.

Monday, April 23 from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., the film, “Your Environmental Road Trip,” will be screened. The film focuses on three friends who are concerned about the future of the planet and travel across America, exploring each state, in search of the extraordinary innovators and ordinary citizens who are tackling the planet’s enlarging environmental crises. The screening will include a Q-&-A with the film’s director. Humanities & Social Science Lecture Hall 165.

Wednesday, April 25, at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. theEcoHero Awards Luncheon, will honor SMC grounds manager Tom Corpus and the SMC student recycling team for their work in supporting the Organic Learning Garden and implementing “Green Zones at SMC,” which will use all electrical equipment and organic integrated pest management. The recycling team will be recognized for its effort in implementing SMC’s Zero Waste program and maintaining SMC’s recycling system.

Thursday, April 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Earth Day Festival/Sustainable Transportation Celebration, with its theme of bicycles and alternative transportation will take place. The festival will feature eco-themed music and art, free food, eco-friendly art tent, and raffle. Santa Monica City Manager Ron Gould and SMC President Dr. Chui L. Tsang will end the event with a presentation on the SMC-Big Blue Bus “Any Line, Any Time” program. The Quad.

Friday, April 27 at 10a.m. to 1 p.m., Community Bus Ride and Beach Cleanup with Heal the Bay. The SMC community will come together in a day of service and cleanup of a local beach. Volunteers will meet at the SMC Center for Environmental and Urban Studies and take the bus to the cleanup site.

SMC was a winner of Santa Monica’s 2009 Sustainable Quality Awards for its progressive environmental practices and programs that range from education to recycling to transportation.

The college has also been cited for its Center for Environmental and Urban Studies, its partnership with the non-profit Sustainable Works, which offers students extra credit for participating in extracurricular environmental workshops, its leadership in recycling, highlighted by its worm composting project that turns three tons of SMC cafeteria garbage each year into clean and organic fertilizer and pesticide; and its “Any Line, Any Time” program that offers free transportation to all students, faculty and staff on Big Blue Bus lines.

The college also has the largest solar panel installation in Santa Monica and recently launched two “green” job-training programs – one in solar installation, the other in recycling and resource management.

SMC Earth Week events are sponsored by the EcoAction Club, SMC Associated Students, SMC Associates, and the Center for Environmental and Urban Studies. All events are free and open to the public. For information on Earth Week events, visit www.smc.edu/earthweek or call (310) 434-3909.