In a previous post on back-to-school sustainability resources, the Illinois Climate Education Hub was mentioned as a forthcoming resource for K-12 teachers, to assist them in complying with Public Act 103-0837. That legislation provides that, “Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public school shall provide instruction on climate change, which shall include, but not be limited to, identifying the environmental and ecological impacts of climate change on individuals and communities and evaluating solutions for addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change and shall be in alignment with State learning standards, as appropriate. The State Board of Education shall, subject to appropriation, prepare and make available multi-disciplinary instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used to meet the requirements of this subsection.”
The hub is now live and is available at https://illinoisclimateeducation.org/. The IL hub (like its sister hubs in New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin, Maine, New York, Connecticut, and Michigan) provides free, educator-vetted teaching resources, professional development opportunities, lesson plan examples, and relevant news articles for students. All resources on the hub can be used for educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.
Photo by bernardbodo – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
In her 2018 TED Talk, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe asserted that the most important thing one can do to combat climate change is to talk about it. Citing long-term opinion research conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, she pointed out that although a majority of people (~70%) in the United States agree that climate change is happening, and that it will also harm plants, animals, and future generations of humans (~70% for each type of impact), only about two-thirds of the population believe it will impact them personally. And two-thirds of the population never talk about climate change, even occasionally. If you explore the interactive Yale Climate Opinions Map based on 2024 data, you’ll see that these statistics remain roughly the same today within a few percentage points. So, it seems there is widespread belief that climate change is real and will be impactful, but for many, there’s still a disconnect between that uncomfortable truth and our immediate lives. Dr. Hayhoe posits that as long as we don’t talk about it, we’ll continue to convince ourselves that climate change is a distant problem removed from our experience, and this attitude will delay progress toward solutions.
If the subject of climate change feels taboo, how does one begin climate conversations, especially in a society that seems to be increasingly polarized? In this post, we’ll explore some ideas and resources to help you broach the topic.
Keep an open mind about how open others are
If the above statistics about the belief in the existence and impact of climate change surprised you, you may also be operating under assumptions about how polarized we are in general. It may seem as if you’re surrounded by people with extreme opinions, on the opposite side of the spectrum from you on just about any topic, let alone climate change. This perception might feed into an unwillingness to even try to talk to others about important issues.
But the keyword there is perception. If you assume that you already know what other people think and that they won’t be open to your views, and further allow that assumption to halt conversations before they begin, you’ll never actually find out if your assumption was true. And the more you base your action—or rather inaction—on a potentially false assumption, the more likely you are to reinforce an atmosphere in which individuals fail to connect and simply accept division as insurmountable. While it’s certainly true that people can disagree strongly about specific issues, it’s also true that we’re all human. We all eat, pay bills, love our families, experience loss, etc. By focusing on the differences between us, we make the conscious decision to ignore all that we share.
In the July 2024 Time article “The Growing Evidence That Americans Are Less Divided Than You May Think,” Karl Vick describes research that illustrates the disparity between individuals’ opinions on what is important and what those individuals thought other people would find important, along with psychological principles that tend to skew human perceptions and behaviors to create a sense of isolation. A recent report from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, “Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2025″ reflects a high degree of support for climate change policy and various mitigation strategies among all registered voters (view the Executive Summary for results regardless of political party; details by party are provided within the report). For example, 52% of registered voters think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress; 71% support tax credits or rebates to encourage people to buy electric appliances, such as heat pumps and induction stoves; and 79% of registered voters support strengthening enforcement of industrial pollution limits in low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution. Writing for the Summer 2025 edition of the Carnegie Reporter magazine, Dame Louise Richardson stated: “Preliminary research and polling that we have supported suggest that the population at large is less polarized than our political leaders and that smaller communities are less polarized than larger ones. Moreover, they demonstrate that there is actually a strong convergence of opinion among Americans on many core issues, but widespread misunderstanding of the views of those on the other side of the political spectrum.” She cites and provides links to the various studies that support her assertions.
In other words, remember that your impressions might not be accurate, and if you’re going to make assumptions, err on the side of assuming that the number of things most people have in common outweigh their differences. This can combat the fear of conflict that might form a barrier to engagement.
Connecting rather than convincing
Dr. Hayhoe suggests the best way to begin climate conversations is not by spouting data or citing research to try to make the other person adopt a particular viewpoint. If people feel overwhelmed by information because of its quantity or complexity, or if they perceive your lecture as a personal attack on their character, they’re likely to stop listening to you. Instead of approaching climate conversations as an opportunity to convince, see them as an opportunity to connect with a fellow human being. Ask the other person questions about themselves (e.g., what are their hobbies, where are they from, what is their family like, what do they enjoy, etc.) and really listen to what they have to say so you can start to understand who they are and what they care about. Then consider if what they’ve said resonates in any way with your values and experiences. Find what you have in common.
Illustrate immediacy through common connections
Once you’ve found what you have in common, you can build a bridge by talking about it. Then you have the opportunity to introduce the idea of climate change as it relates to your common interest or experience. This can help transform the subject from an abstract and removed concept to a tangible and directly relevant issue. If you both like to garden, you might talk about how the USDA plant hardiness zones were updated a few seasons ago; maybe now you can confidently grow plants that were once reserved for warmer areas. Or maybe you’ve noticed that you can start your garden earlier in the year or that you need to water more than you used to. Perhaps you’ve noticed a change in the types or number of insects or birds present while you’re working in your garden. If you’re both parents, you might observe that your kids get time off from school these days due to high heat advisories in the warm months, or windchill factors instead of snowfall in the colder months. If you’ve bonded over needing a cup of coffee to start your morning, you might talk about hearing that climate change might impact coffee yields and where coffee can be grown, among other things.
You don’t have to be prepared with an arsenal of trivia; again, the point is not to present a litany of facts but to connect the impacts of climate change to something you both care about. If you aren’t already aware of a fact related to your shared value or experience, it could be enough to wonder aloud about the potential impact (e.g., “I wonder if climate change will impact coffee production? I don’t think I could cope if there was a coffee shortage!”). You don’t have to be an expert in every possible impact of climate change, just a fellow human being willing to share concerns, questions, and reactions to a changing world.
Respect emotions
Be prepared for the fact that climate change can trigger a wide variety of emotions. If the other person wants to share their experiences, let them, and again, listening mindfully is important. Remember that all feelings are valid. If the other person expresses something that you don’t personally feel, don’t belittle their feelings (e.g., “there’s no reason to be afraid of sea level rise in this area…”), just listen respectfully and respond with empathy. Be willing to share your own emotions authentically, regardless of whether the other person volunteers their feelings. If, for example, the other person tells you what scares them about climate change, share your own related fears. If you don’t have any fears about climate change, share what you do feel (e.g., grief, anger, anxiety, etc.). Again, having the conversation can help normalize the idea that climate change is an emotional reality as well as a physical one, and that we don’t need to bury those emotions.
Be advised that talking to children is very different from talking to adults. Don’t present potentially traumatic information when dealing with very young children, and don’t overwhelm kids with too much information. See the “Resources to explore” section below for links to guidance on talking about climate with young people.
Invite hope to the conversation
The magnitude of climate change issues can evoke a sense of despair or powerlessness. While acknowledging these feelings is important, if your conversation focuses solely on doom and gloom, you’ll end up fostering the idea that climate change isn’t something worth thinking about, talking about, or acting on—in direct opposition to the point of your starting the conversation in the first place. If you’re aware of a case study to mitigate climate change that gives you hope, share that (e.g., “My church recently installed solar panels on the roof,” or “I read there’s been a drop in deforestation in Colombia”). At the very least share one or a few examples of what you are doing, however simple, to fight climate change, and why that relates if the other person doesn’t know (e.g., “I’ve started composting my food scraps,” “I plan my errands to minimize the amount of driving I do,” “I’ve gotten to the point where I almost always wash my clothes in cold water,” etc.). Examples may not only reassure your conversation companion that solutions exist and are being pursued, but also inspire and empower them to take action.
Resources to explore
The following resources can help you prepare for, or conduct, climate conversations with others.
Illinois Extension Climate Stewards:https://extension.illinois.edu/climate/illinois-extension-climate-stewards. This course trains environmental stewards to communicate about climate change and engage in local solutions. Though upcoming dates for the course have not been scheduled, you can contact your local Extension office to express interest. ISTC’s Joy Scrogum completed this course in Fall 2024 and can provide insights on the experience.
Climate Conversations Card Game:https://climateconversationslex.weebly.com/card-game.html. Available to download in English, Spanish, or in K-12 versions for printing or in versions appropriate for remote play. “This game aims to create conversations, having participants work through their own relationships with climate change while envisioning a climate resilient future. Working with a partner, participants pick one card from each of the four conversation levels.” This card game was developed by a network of community members in the Lexington, KY area interested in fostering resilience through climate change conversations.
Talking climate handbook—how to have a climate change conversation:https://climateoutreach.org/reports/how-to-have-a-climate-change-conversation-talking-climate/. Developed by the British organization Climate Outreach, this guide is meant to assist anyone interested in having constructive day-to-day conversations about climate change. Their advice is presented via an acronym representing important steps for good climate conversations (REAL TALK). It includes sections on dealing with specific audiences, such as young people and those strongly opposed to climate action.
Principles for effective communication and public engagement on climate change: A handbook for IPCC Authors: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2017/08/Climate-Outreach-IPCC-communications-handbook.pdf. This brief, evidence-based handbook was commissioned by the Working Group/Technical Support Unit of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and prepared by Climate Outreach.
Talk Climate:https://talkclimate.org/. This Seattle, WA organization offers resources that are “are age-appropriate, emotionally-responsive, and designed to empower people to build emotional and interpersonal capacity for facing the climate era together.”Contributors and collaborators include scientists in various fields, healthcare professionals (including therapists), musicians, and activists. Their website includes sections on talking about climate with birth to kindergarten-aged children, elementary school students, middle to high school-aged students, young adults, and caregivers and adults. They provide resource compilations related to education (K-university), environmental justice, faith and spirituality, healthcare and public health, mental health and wellbeing, and climate science. Site visitors can browse downloadable handouts, music and book suggestions, and more.
The Daily Climate:https://www.dailyclimate.org/. A publication of the nonprofit Environmental Health Sciences, this online newsletter includes sections focused on Solutions and Good News to help you sow the seeds of hope.
Active Hope:https://www.activehope.info/. Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone first published the book, Active Hope, in 2012, and then released a revised 10th anniversary version in 2022. The book focuses on how to face the complex environmental “mess” that we’re in and how to find your role in collective positive change (what the authors call the “Great Turning”). Among other things, the revised edition shifts from seeing the negative impacts that might come about in the future due to various environmental challenges to acknowledging that those negative consequences are underway. This website provides information not only about the book, but related free training and resources.
If you have questions or are interested in exploring ways to have climate conversations within your organization or institution, contact Joy Scrogum.
Photo by wavebreak3– stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Time flies, and August is upon us already, so it will soon be back-to-school time in IL. Whether you’re a parent, student, or educator, if visions of classrooms or campuses are dancing in your head, the following resources will help you prepare for the new school year. As always, please keep in mind that links to specific products or services are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement by ISTC, the Prairie Research Institute, or the University of Illinois.
Did you know that beginning next fall, IL K-12 public schools are required to provide climate change education? Public Act 103-0837, signed into law by Governor J. B. Pritzker in August 2024, provides that, “Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public school shall provide instruction on climate change, which shall include, but not be limited to, identifying the environmental and ecological impacts of climate change on individuals and communities and evaluating solutions for addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change and shall be in alignment with State learning standards, as appropriate. The State Board of Education shall, subject to appropriation, prepare and make available multi-disciplinary instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used to meet the requirements of this subsection.”
An organization called SubjectToClimate is already leading efforts to develop an Illinois Climate Education Hub. The goal of the online hub is to make it easier for Illinois K-12 educators of all grade levels and subjects to teach about climate change by providing access to free, vetted teaching resources, professional development opportunities, lesson plan examples, and more. They’ve previously created similar hubs for New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin, Maine, New York, Connecticut, and Michigan. Check our their “Get Involved” page if you’re interested in being part of the effort, or reach out to Katie Nahrwold, the Illinois State Lead, for more information. While the IL hub has yet to be launched (the tentative launch date is September 10, 2025), teachers may still consider registering for an account on the SubjectToClimate website to browse teaching resources already available. Resources can be searched by grade, subject, resource type, standards, providers, locations, and languages. You can also use online forms to suggest teaching resources or suggest a teacher professional development opportunity.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) defines education for sustainability (EfS) as follows (as relayed on the Getting Started with Sustainability in Schools website): “Education for sustainability develops the knowledge, skills, values and world-views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living. It enables individuals and communities to reflect on ways of interpreting and engaging with the world. Sustainability education is futures-oriented, focusing on protecting environments and creating a more ecologically and socially just world through informed action. Actions that support more sustainable patterns of living require consideration of environmental, social, cultural and economic systems and their interdependence.”
Similarly, UNESCO uses the term “education for sustainable development,” or ESD, stating “Education for Sustainable Development empowers people with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviors to live in a way that is good for the environment, economy, and society. It encourages people to make smart, responsible choices that help create a better future for everyone.” The UNESCO ESD website provides a variety of resources to explore, along with its Education for sustainable development for 2030 toolbox.
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education provides professional development opportunities, EfS standards and indicators, and a variety of other resources to support educators interested in integrating sustainability in their curricula.
Illinois Green Schools Project:https://www.illinoisgreenalliance.org/illinois-green-schools-project-home. According to the Illinois Green Alliance, this is “an annual sustainability action and recognition program for K-12 schools in Illinois. We help educators engage students and school stakeholders in hands-on projects that improve health, efficiency, and environmental impact.”
Green Lunchroom Challenge archive: Launched in 2015, the Green Lunchroom Challenge (GLC) was a voluntary pledge program for K-12 schools to improve the sustainability of their food service operations. By registering, participants were accepting the challenge to reduce and prevent food waste in their facilities. The GLC website provided suggested activities that ranged in complexity and commitment, to allow participants to best suit their situation, budget, and available community resources. Participants were not required to complete activities, but with each activity that was completed successfully, they earned points toward recognition at different levels of accomplishment. When the project ended, material from the original website was folded into a topical blog that also included information on food waste reduction for sectors besides K-12 schools. The archived blog is available at https://wayback.archive-it.org/6086/20250528191406/https://green-lunchroom.istc.illinois.edu/ or . See https://tap.istc.illinois.edu/2016/12/07/green-lunchroom-challenge/ for further project information.
ICAW 2025 poster designed by Abbie Sawyer from Athens, Georgia. Abbie is an artist, nature enthusiast, and Compost Education Specialist for the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department.
International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is celebrated annually during the first full week of May and is a time to learn more about composting organic wastes (e.g., landscape wastes and food scraps) as part of fostering healthier soil and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A theme is chosen for ICAW in the US each year, and the theme becomes the focus of a poster contest, in which artists age 14 and older from around the world compete. The image above is the winning design for 2025, created by Abbie Sawyer from Georgia.
This year’s theme is “Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost!” As explained on the Compost Research & Education Foundation website, “This theme was chosen with the goal of highlighting composting in all kinds of communities at any scale – from the backyard home composter to community composters, to large-scale facilities to all those who recognize the many benefits of using compost on our soils. As has been done for the past several years, the theme was chosen by all of the international partners who are part of the International Compost Alliance – making it truly an international theme. This year’s theme was inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”*
Composting reduces methane emissions through aerobic managed decomposition, providing for a more sustainable community.
Composting lowers greenhouse gases by improving carbon sequestration in the soil. Getting the carbon back into the soil serves as a “carbon bank,” helping to store carbon thereby removing it from the atmosphere.
Compost provides essential nutrients for plants, promoting vibrant gardens and farms. Healthier soil leads to healthier, more nutritious food for our communities.
Compost use increases the water-holding capacity of our soils. This is important as our communities are more and more often seeing drought and or intense rain events causing soil runoff and erosion.
Community Gardens and Green Spaces: Compost plays a vital role in community gardens, fostering green spaces that provide fresh produce, recreational opportunities, and community gathering places.
Illinois will be hosting over 50 in-person and virtual events during ICAW in over 12 counties. To see a full list of events and find registration information for those that are vitual, check out the IFSCC ICAW 2025 webpage: https://illinoiscomposts.org/icaw-2025/.
If you’re interested in hosting your own ICAW event, check out the IFSCC’s ICAW Host Toolkit, which includes:
tabling signage,
resources for libraries,
a list of relevant children’s books,
resources for park districts,
social media resources,
activities for kids,
a guide for hosting a “compost giveback” event (aka a “compost giveaway” or a “bring your own bucket” event),
a link to a spreadsheet of food scrap municipal composting programs and drop-off locations, and
a link to IFSCC’s guide for where to buy finished compost in IL. (Note that this only includes IFSCC member organizations that are compost manufacturing facilities. If you don’t see a site near you, do an Internet search or consult your county solid waste agency or recycling coordinator for guidance.)
Beginning in 2014, shortly after the inception of its Zero Waste Illinois program, TAP conducted its first university campus waste audit in the form of a two-phase project for U. of I., examining the types and amounts of waste generated in eight campus buildings, as well as the availability and location of waste and recycling collection bins. That study also included a survey of building occupants to gauge knowledge of current programs, gaps in service, and overall satisfaction with the campus recycling program. With this data, TAP made recommendations for waste reduction and diversion at the campus and individual building levels. The TAP zero waste team went on to conduct similar waste characterization studies for other institutes of higher learning, industrial clients, local governments, small businesses, and school districts in Illinois and beyond, as well as contributing to statewide systemic change through efforts like the Farm to Food Bank feasibility study and pilot projects. In 2019, TAP assessed indoor solid waste and recycling collection infrastructure for U. of I., leading to the initial deployment of branded three-bin collection stations for waste and recyclables in high-traffic campus locations. F&S continues to deploy those newer three-bin stations as funding permits, as part of ongoing progress toward iCAP zero waste goals.
In the fall of 2021, TAP, F&S, and other campus stakeholders began discussion of a new round of campus building waste audits. Plans were paused until after the hiring of Daphne Hulse, the first full-time U. of I. Zero Waste Coordinator, in fall 2022, to ensure the availability of dedicated staff to address waste audit results and recommendations. A spring 2023 grant from the U. of I. Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) supplemented available F&S funds to secure TAP services for waste audits of eight high-usage facilities in October 2023.
Due to the size and volume of waste and recycling generated on campus, sorting all material was not feasible. Thus, TAP and F&S used an “activity zone” approach, developed by the TAP zero waste team after their work on the previous U. of I. campus audits. This involved selecting a representative set of buildings classified according to their main functions and services. Waste audit data from those representative buildings was used to formulate recommendations for waste reduction and improving the quantity and quality of collected recyclables. Those recommendations for improvement can then be applied to other buildings that fall within the same activity zone categorization. For this waste audit, activity zones and their respective buildings included:
Academic: Business Instructional Facility (BIF) & Campus Instructional Facility (CIF)
Academic + Laboratory: Roger Adams Laboratory (RAL) & Noyes Laboratory
Multi-Activity: Illini Union & Activities & Recreation Center (ARC)
Student Living: Lincoln Avenue Residence Halls & Allen Residence Hall
TAP conducted walkthroughs of study buildings to assess current conditions and infrastructure, discuss waste and recycling challenges and successes with facility managers and other key personnel, and determine the best method for sample collection during the waste audits. The audits involved the collection of samples from trash (landfill-bound) and recycling streams from each of the selected buildings, which were then hand-sorted by TAP staff and volunteers into pre-determined categories defined in conjunction with F&S waste management staff. Following the waste audits, TAP held four focus group sessions (one per activity zone) to obtain input from campus community members (including students, faculty, and staff). Stakeholder engagement helped to gauge expectations, barriers, and sources of confusion, as well as garner suggestions for ways to reduce waste and improve collection of recyclables for the buildings included in the study. An online form was made available for submission of written feedback from those unable to attend focus group sessions and to allow session participants to submit any additional comments and suggestions.
In addition to presenting methodologies and findings, the audit report outlines current waste and recycling management practices across campus and within the examined activity zones. This includes detailed descriptions of bin liner color-coding standards and the rationale behind them, procedures at the campus Waste Transfer Station (WTS), process flow diagrams, and a list of processors and destinations for the major categories of collected recyclables. The goal was to create a document that could support F&S’s efforts to educate and engage the campus community in improved waste management and the creation of a zero-waste culture.
There are long-standing misconceptions about campus waste management practices according to Joy Scrogum, an Assistant Research Scientist with ISTC’s TAP and a member of the campus Zero Waste iCAP team. “When I was an Illinois undergraduate, I would hear people say it didn’t matter if you accidentally put recyclables in campus trash bins because everything would be sorted at the campus Waste Transfer Station. That was frankly decades ago, and I still hear people make that incorrect assertion. Although the U. of I. is an innovative research institution, our Waste Transfer Station is low-tech, with a small crew that hand sorts only a fraction of the materials collected. There’s no cutting-edge equipment using lasers or air currents to extract recyclables, just humans pulling items from certain colored bags that are emptied onto a conveyor belt. It would be physically impossible to hand sort all the waste generated on campus, and most people aren’t even aware of the fact that different colored bin liners are meant to signify different actions at the transfer station. The contents of black bags, for example, aren’t emptied for a hand sort, because that color is supposed to signify waste collected from restrooms or laboratories.”
Graphic from the audit report illustrating the campus bin liner color-coding standard.
The study uncovered a lack of awareness, confusion, and/or inconsistent compliance regarding the bin liner color-coding standard, suggesting that improved communication and efforts to ease supply chain barriers could result in increased capture of recyclable materials. Observations during building walkthroughs and feedback compiled from stakeholder engagement indicated that greater consistency in collection bin style and signage, along with improvements in communication of proper waste management and recycling procedures to students, faculty, and staff could result in improved collection and reduced contamination of recyclable materials.
Key findings from the analysis include:
34 percent of campus waste reviewed was avoidable
23 percent of all landfill materials were some form of paper towels
Recyclable materials made up 13 percent of the total waste stream
17 percent of waste was compostable
18 percent of recyclables were contaminated and therefore unsalvageable
Liquids contributed to contaminating 5 percent of all the recycling items sorted
Disposable single-use items, such as these beverage cups, are examples of potentially avoidable waste.
TAP made 39 recommendations for waste reduction and improved management grouped into seven themes (education & outreach, infrastructure, policy, programming, purchasing, research, and retail). Many of the suggestions encourage colleges and departments to look upstream at the source of waste generation to proactively reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
F&S Zero Waste Coordinator Daphne Hulse said, “ISTC’s important and updated insight gives us the ability to turn their work into meaningful results that have an impact across campus. To accomplish our goals, we need to keep looking at how we can all continue to make progress by taking all available actions to properly reduce, reuse, and recycle where we study, work, recreate, and live.”
Daphne Hulse will also discuss the audit results, the details of campus waste and recycling management, and ongoing zero waste initiatives in an ISTC Sustainability Seminar presentation entitled, “Landfills Are Organized Littering: How the University of Illinois Is Moving Toward Zero Waste.” This hybrid presentation (with in-person and online attendance options), is scheduled for September 11 from 2-3 PM. Learn more and register at https://calendars.illinois.edu/detail/6229/33493027. ISTC Sustainability Seminars are recorded with archives available online within a few weeks of the seminar’s completion.
Since 2021, the IFSCC has planned robust ICAW programming that combines in-person and hands-on experiences with virtual discussions and presentations to reach diverse and widespread audiences at all stages of life and composting experience. The 2023 line-up includes a day of “Adventures in Composting” with farmers, gardeners, and backyard composters around the state; a virtual International Cafe at which composting stories from around the world will be shared; a virtual Legislative Lunch & Learn; and multiple opportunities throughout the week to attend library programs and obtain finished compost.
First Followers is a Champaign-Urbana-based re-entry program that provides guidance for those impacted by the criminal justice system. GoMAD (Go Make A Difference) is a program within the First Followers that specifically targets people around the ages of 18-24. GoMAD teaches practical employment skills and prepares participants for apprenticeship programs in areas including construction.
Grace Wilken, a researcher at ISTC, organized this partnership to educate the young people in the program about some of the available career paths at the university level in facilities management, earth science, biology, chemistry, and engineering. The current cohort recently toured ISTC to learn about career possibilities in sustainability.
First, the group attended short presentations by Wilkin and Perry Akrie. Wilkin focused on her research with different types of algae and their applications. She talked about sustainability, what it means, and why it is so important for society. Akrie discussed earth science disciplines and possible career paths for people who earn those degrees. Earth science is underrepresented in many high school curriculums and minorities have been historically been underrepresented these fields.
Vanessa DeShambo explains her ongoing algae research
Next, the group toured the ISTC lab space to show the researcher’s day-to-day work. The tour concluded with a walkthrough of the greenhouse space by Vanessa DeShambo, who showcased her work with sustainable algae systems. Her projects seek to address the food-water-energy nexus and integrate wastewater treatment improvements, food production, and energy savings.
The young men in the cohort were excited to learn more about the various uses of algae and in the idea of earth science as a possible career path.
