What’s a Hypocenter?
For a decade, the Foothill College Hypocenter for a Sustainable Future has remained “A Center without a Center” — both by necessity and by choice.
Here’s three reasons why:
Reason #1: We Have No Funding or Facilities
Operating as an ad hoc, volunteer educational hyper-organization with zero funding or direct institutional support (so far), our hypocenter has still successfully produced world-class Un-Conferences and Teach-Ins for a decade.
Reason #2: The Scientific Definition of “Hypocenter” Fits Our Mission Perfectly
In geology, according to the US Geological Survey, “A hypocenter …is the point of origin of an earthquake or a subsurface nuclear explosion. In seismology, it is a synonym of the focus.” Ominously, the term hypocenter is also used as a synonym for ground zero, the surface point directly beneath a nuclear airburst.
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, we’re at ground zero for 21st-century technology — and provide a focus for climate crisis curriculum creation in California’s vast Community College system (one of the largest and most inclusive institutions of higher education on earth).
Reason #3: Stanford Design-School Director David Kelly christened us the “Hypocenter” in 2010!
The Foothill College Center for a Sustainable Future was launched (with great fanfare but zero funding) in 2010 — with Stanford d-school founder Professor David Kelly as our featured keynote speaker.
In the audience for our big rollout were our District Chancellor, Linda Thor, the President of our Board of Trustees, Bruce Swenson, and our Foothill College President, Judy Miner.
Informed that the new Center had “no center” — in other words, no physical office or funding — world-famous Stanford creativity-guru Kelly boldly urged us to embrace our Hypocenter status.
So instead of hiding in an office, we’ve produced an annual series of ad-hoc but unforgettable campus events, digital publications, instituitonal partnerships, and curricular innovations.
Like hypertext and hyperdrives, the Hypocenter links us to an infinity of ideas, inspirations, and initiatives.
