OPRF students step up to raise their voices
in the global movement on climate change
Right: A screening of the award-winning documentary "Youth Unstoppable" marked the official kick-off of It's Our Future.

Below: It's Our Future members work on an editorial they plan to submit for publication.
The climate-focused initiative known as It’s Our Future is ready for action. Since winning the Entrepreneur Leaders in Philanthropy Big Idea pitch in March, Seven Generations Ahead has been coordinating all the components of the education, engagement and empowerment initiative that's designed to raise up the next generation of sustainability leaders.

It's Our Future's had a public kick-off on Sept. 17 at the Oak Park Main Library, a screening of "Youth Unstoppable," an award-winning documentary about the youth climate crisis movement.

A media workshop series took place over two weekends in mid-September at the Oak Park Library. Communications and media consultant Cassandra West led the workshops, offering instruction on idea generation, editorial writing and effective messaging. The OPRF students who attended the workshops spoke of the urgency of addressing climate change and identifying areas in which they could be most effective.

“When I heard about [It’s Our Future], I realized it would be a really good way to get involved and get my voice heard and help our community to be more sustainable,” Charlotte Meyer , an OPRF sophomore who attended a workshop, said. “[Climate change] is very urgent and I want to act as much as I can.”

On Sept. 25, SGA hosted the first PlanItGreen Young Leaders Core Team meeting, which set the groundwork for a fall forum to be led by Its Our Future members.

Charles Roeger , an OPRF sophomore who joined the core team said after that meeting: “The climate crisis is the most urgent issue facing our generation and the world. I thought It’s Our Future would be a good way to tackle that issue from the ground up locally in Oak Park River Forest.”

For more information about It's Our Future, contact amy@sevengenerationsahead.org
The Wasted Food Action Alliance (formerly called the Wasted Food Solutions Task Force) develops a working strategy and action platform that makes Illinois a leader in reducing wasted food through collaboration, education, and policy.

Seven Generations Ahead received funding from Food:Land:Opportunity, via a grant from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, to lead the WFAA Coordinating Team (driving the strategic direction of the group) and the team developing a K-12 School Food Waste Toolkit. Read more about this vital work in a recent article in FoodTank .
Meet Amy Bartucci,
SGA sustainability program associate

Living as sustainably as possible matters a lot to  Amy Bartucci . The practice is so much a part of her life that she found a job built around it. In early September, Amy joined Seven Generations Ahead as its new sustainability program associate. 

The journey began about a decade ago, when Amy seized on an opportunity to take action for the environment. She and another parent joined forces to start a recycling program at their children’s elementary school. At the time, the Park Ridge school “had no recycling,” she recalls. 

The pair first sought help from the  Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County . “We received a lot of advice through that agency to get the school to begin to be aware of their waste impact,” Amy says. They did a waste audit and eventually were successful in securing a recycling contract with the school’s waste hauler. 

Then they went further. “We started a waste-free Wednesday,” Amy says. On that day students were encouraged to bring their lunches from home in reusable containers. The goal, Amy says, was “to encourage kids to be waste free every day.”

Upcoming Events
Oct. 15
Farm to School Boot Camp in Champaign
The  Illinois Farm to School Network  will hold its second Farm to School Boot Camp on Oct. 15 at Parkland Community College in Champaign, Ill. The daylong camp is intended for food service personnel, administrators and garden managers. The event gives them a chance to meet local farmers, learn about the benefits of incorporating local foods into lunch menus and how to engage young eaters with creative nutrition education.

Because October is National Farm to School Month, the mayors of Champaign and Urbana both are issuing proclamations that coincide with the Boot Camp.

For more information or to register, click  HERE . Participation is first come, first serve. Please RSVP by Oct 9.
Oct. 16
An evening at Revolution Brewing with SGA
Come out to Revolution Brewing on Oct. 16 if you're concerned about the climate crisis. Hear what SGA is doing in its various program areas to moblize and inform the communities in which it works. Hear from local young leaders on the ways in which they will be leading and raising their collective voices to advance action on climate change. Get info on the fall 2020 GreenTown Climate Crisis Conference.

SGA has access to Revolution's exclusive Brewers’ Lounge for a fun (and fundraising) evening from 6:30-8:30. A ticket ($35) gets you all the beer and appetizers you can hold. Speed trivia rounds will be an additional cost.

The space is small and tickets are limited. Purchase them via EventBrite .
The Illinois Great Apple Crunch on Oct. 10 is a daylong celebration of fresh, local apples and is a part of the Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch celebrated across the Midwest. Students take part in this autumn activity by crunching into locally and regionally grown apples at noontime in a collective crunch that will be "heard" all over the Midwest.

Schools can register  HERE  to participate and show their support for locally grown produce.
Students grade school through college are invited to submit their entries for the 2020 Young Filmmakers Contest  by creating a well-researched 3-8 minute film about one of 6 sustainability topics: energy, food, transportation, waste, water, or open space and ecosystems.

Winners will be awarded cash prizes/scholarships ranging from $100 to $1,000 and have their film premiered at the One Earth Film Festival in March 2020. OEFF will also give a matching grant to an organization of each winner's choice.

Entry deadline:  Jan. 5, 2020.
Don't miss out! Find all upcoming events from SGA and other sustainability events on our calendar .

This newsletter was created by Seven Generations Ahead

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