Chicago’s air isn’t the same for everyone. In this hands on workshop, we’ll explore how air pollution affects different neighborhoods and why. Learn to connect the dots between environmental racism, health impacts, and climate justice. You'll walk away with skills to track local air quality and strategies to push for cleaner, healthier air in your community. 

How does wildlife conservation intersect with climate justice? In this interactive session we will explore ways to view wildlife as allies in the fight for climate justice and learn about One Health, an approach that recognizes the interdependence between the health of people, animals, and the ecosystems in which we live. Participants will have the opportunity to explore real-world case studies in human-wildlife conflict and coexistence and then apply what they learn to create One Health maps of their school environment.

Water is life...it’s also at the frontlines of climate change. From Lake Michigan’s shoreline to lakes across the world, water connects us to questions of justice, equity, and survival. In this interactive session, you’ll dive into stories, film, and hands-on activities that show how youth can transform local challenges into climate action. Using the AquaVox Story Sprint framework, you’ll learn creative ways to advocate, lead, and build solutions. Together, we’ll connect local and global movements to spark action in your schools and communities.

Teaching for Climate Resilience: Resources for Midwest Classrooms: This interactive workshop is designed for educators and students who want to bring relevant, accessible climate education into their classrooms. Participants will explore free, scientist vetted teaching resources from SubjectToClimate, including lesson plans, student-friendly articles, activities, videos, and more, highlighting SubjectToClimate’s Illinois hub, which features curated, place-based materials that connect climate science to issues in local communities.  

• Reflect on the challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning about climate change.

• Explore the site to find credible and engaging resources.

• Learn about the site as a tool of empowerment for teachers and students.

Then we'll learn about one great local resource from the team at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum!

Classroom to Community Climate Actions

We will be touching on how teachers have used the micro grants from our C3 program to promote projects in their classroom and how teachers/others can help educate students and/or get involved with community science projects that can help shape policy and conservation efforts. 

Hello Students, we are so excited to host a session at YCJS this year! We work for the Morton Arboretum on the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, with the goal of increasing the tree canopy of Chicagoland’s underserved areas. Our session will include learning about how to choose the best trees to plant in a given area based on the variables, how choosing the right tree can increase resilience to climate change, and why planting trees equitably is so important. We are excited for you to join us!

Did you know that at least 80% of waste in a school cafeteria can be diverted from the landfill? Did you know that preventing food waste is a top climate solution? Join Zero Waste Ambassadors from Solorio Academy in Chicago to hear their story and learn what they are doing to reduce the almost 500 pounds of waste their school cafeteria generates every day. Zero Waste Schools professionals will also be on hand to share strategies and answer your burning zero waste questions. We’ll conclude the session by breaking out into small groups and brainstorming ways to address cafeteria waste through our individual Climate Action Plans.

Join this mother-daughter duo as we explore the health effects of extreme weather, actionable strategies to stay safe, and how to build communities around climate initiatives. We will include group breakout sessions in which we will consider how environmental justice interacts with health, and apply our learning to real life situations. Come help us educate, connect, and lead each other to a better future!

Not sure where you fit in the climate movement? This session starts with the Green New Careers quiz, which sorts participants into archetypes like the Organizer, the Naturalist, the Analyst, and the Builder, and uses those types as a lens for exploring the range of roles the climate fight actually needs. From there, IEC staff connect each archetype to the real policy fights happening at the State Capitol, City Council and throughout our communities right now: Organizers will see themselves in the coalition work behind bills like the Hazel M Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance, Naturalists and Growers in wetlands protection and cover crop incentives, Analysts in groundwater governance and diesel emissions data, and Builders in the infrastructure push for EV charging and clean energy at data centers. Participants will leave with a clearer sense of their own climate career type and a concrete list of active Illinois bills where that type of work is needed most.