Second Breakout Session
1:45 – 2:35 p.m
How to Recycle Right and Not be a Jerk
Tiana Lightfoot Svendsen
Social Equity
G101
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., died fighting for the rights of sanitation workers. More than 50 years later the people who handle trash and recycling are still exposed to needless danger. In this interactive session participants will learn how to teach others to "recycle right" as a social justice practice which helps protect the health and safety of sanitation workers.
About the Speaker:
Tiana Lightfoot Svendsen
As a child, Tiana was inspired to become an environmentalist by the animated adventures of "Captain Planet." Now, she is applying lessons learned from the TV show in her work as a professional planeteer. Serving as the Environmental Sustainability Programs Manager for the City of Garland Tiana strives to educate the community on actions they can take to maximize materials and reduce landfill impact. Tiana got her start at DCCCD's Cedar Valley College and went on to earn a B.A. and M.A. from SMU.
Full STEAM Ahead: Leveraging Citizen Science to Teach Sustainability
Cindy Hua
Teaching Sustainability (K-16)
G102
We at Downwinders at Risk (DAR), a clean air advocacy group, operate on the principle of increasing citizen influence and community organizing to bring cleaner air to DFW. Teaching towards sustainability lends itself to interdisciplinary, place-based, and project-based learning. This presentation discusses how DAR has utilized citizen science campaigns to not only teach STEAM but also build environmental justice literacy among middle school youth.
About the Speaker:
Cindy Hua
Cindy is a member of Downwinders at Risk's PM Education Committee and one of the organization's youngest Board Members. She holds a B.S. in biology from the University of Texas at Dallas and is a Masters candidate in sustainability and development at Southern Methodist University. Her work focuses on bridging STEM education and sustainability through project-based learning. As an SMU human rights fellow, she leads a STEM program where students build low-cost air monitors for their campus.
Toward Self Sufficiency
George Hunt
Institutionalizing Sustainability
G118
George Hunt spent more than 50 years as a community planner and landscape architect, working in impoverished and low-income areas. This helped him understand the dynamics of achieving self-sufficiency. He believes there are numerous ways to make communities self-sufficient and anyone can use his concepts. He explains how multiple-purpose buildings can be used to house a diversity of people, ways to launch a business within the community by collaborating and sharing with others, how to obtain a vocational work/study program offered on site and more. The book is also a reference manual on transition community design, creating a purpose, the meaning of happiness, sustainable agricultural practices, how to live without stuff and how to reduce anxiety and depression.
About the Speaker:
George Hunt
Hunt has been a practicing Landscape Architect and Community Planner for over 50 years. One of the projects was as principal in a planning firm for planning a Master Plan for Montego Bay, Jamaica. This received a practice award from the United Nations in community participation.
Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development
Brandon Morton and Meghna Tare
Teaching Sustainability (K-16)
G121
The United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) a global multi-stakeholder network of the Regional Centers of Expertise on ESD (RCEs). An RCE is organization that facilitates learning towards sustainable development in local and regional communities. RCE North Texas is a network of 75 multidisciplinary stakeholders working towards the following SDGs, deemed priority for our region: Good Health and Well-Being (3); Quality Education (4); Sustainable Cities and Communities (11).
RCEs help prepare local leaders of tomorrow with the tools and information they need to make smart and sustainable choices for the future. RCE efforts encourage innovation and new approaches to sustainable development. They translate existing knowledge into concrete actions and empower individuals to make sustainable choices for themselves and their communities. Join Meghna to discover more about this outstanding sustainability resource in North Texas.About the Speaker:
Meghna Tare
As UT Arlington's first Chief Sustainability Officer, Meghna works collaboratively to foster partnerships among academic, research and operational departments at UT Arlington.
About the Speaker:
Brandon Morton
Brandon Morton has been the sustainability coordinator for North Lake College since 2014, overseeing initiatives across academics, operations, and outreach. He has a bachelors in biology, is studying sustainability and resource communications in graduate school, and has professional certifications in sustainability management, water quality monitoring and trail-building. His passion for the environment includes hobbies like camping, running, swimming, gardening and aquariums.
Citizen Science and the Global Goals: Opportunties for connecting campus, classrooms and community
Jill Nugent
Teaching Sustainability (K-16)
G203
This session will discuss curricular and co-curricular engagement opportunities at the intersection of citizen science and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the "Global Goals"; connections to the AAC&U High Impact Practices (HIPS) will also be highlighted. Examples and opportunities for citizen science participation, from classroom to the community, will be shared with attendees.
About the Speaker:
Jill Nugent
Jill Nugent serves as associate dean of science at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) where she also teaches science courses and directs the online Environmental Science Program. Nugent has two decades of experience in science and science education; she is a contributing author of the book, "Citizen Science: 15 lessons that bring biology to life," and is the author of a monthly citizen science feature for the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA).
Dallas Resource and Energy Efficiency Initiatives
Susan Alvarez
Resource and Energy Efficiency
G219
The City of Dallas has been making steady progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing energy efficiency for City operations. With the formal development of a climate action plan, and the recent Green Energy Policy resolution, the city has committed towards implementing 100 percent renewable power, including on- and off-site generation, continued energy efficiency improvements for our buildings and implementation of an ISO- 50001 Energy Management System. This provides a summary of City initiatives towards greater resource and energy efficiency.
About the Speaker:
Susan Alvarez
Ms. Alvarez is serving as the assistant director of the City of Dallas Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability. She has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, with a minor in geology from Rice University, and postgraduate work in water resources. She is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas and five other western states, and is also certified as a Certified Floodplain Manager and Master Naturalist in Texas. Ms. Alvarez brings over 35 years’ experience in broad practical experience in civil and environmental planning, engineering and management for municipal, tribal, state and federal governments. She is currently focused on the Comprehensive Environmental & Climate Action Plan and the City’s environmental outreach efforts.