Session 1 / 4:00pm  - 4:30 pm

Step into a briefing where students advocate for the future of Chicagoland’s wild spaces. Through detailed ecological mapping and impact reports, teams present the vital value of local ecosystems to key stakeholders. Explore how these landscapes function, the services they provide to our city, and the critical consequences of human intervention.

Walk through a student-run movie theater experience that highlights the most pressing issues in Chicago today. This exhibit features production stages—from investigating root causes and local community solutions to the creative work of storyboarding, filming, and editing a final public service announcement. Grab some popcorn and explore what it means to be a director with a mission to help the community.

Witness a live exchange of ideas as students analyze the similarities and key differences between historical colonialism and modern-day gentrification. This session highlights deep-dive research into displacement, economic shifts, and cultural impact, challenging the audience to rethink how neighborhoods change and who they belong to. Participants will explore student-led arguments that connect global history to the local transformations happening in our own city streets.

Art - This exhibit showcases how students identified a real-world need for shelter and safety during transitions between our two ChiTech buildings and responded with innovative design. Following a professional design cycle—from initial inspiration and hand-drafted floor sketches to detailed 3D models—students developed a series of modular structures paired with a vibrant floor mural. Explore the collaborative process of creating a visually unified, weather-protected pathway that turns a simple walk between classes into a community-centered experience.