E2 Environment & Equity Student Leadership Conference Saturday, October 20, 2012 From 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Register now HERE

About E2

The E2 Environment & Equity Student Leadership Conference explores the intersection of social justice and environmental sustainability. Its objective is to teach students effective strategies for being stewards of the environment and agents of social change and then apply those skills to organizing an Environment & Equity Summit for the general public on MLK Jr. Day, January 21, 2013.

Student teams of 5 or more people will gather at ECHO on October 20, 2012 to learn and teach each other about environmental and social justice issues, local service and citizen science opportunities, and strategies for effecting change. E2 will coincide with the opening of ECHO’s new traveling exhibit RACE: Are We So Different? to which will serve as a focal point for both E2 and the MLK Day Jr. Summit.

What is Environmental Justice?

Why Attend?

• Learn strategies for being effective agents of change in the areas of environmental sustainability and social justice
• Develop a project or workshop to present to the public as part of a community-wide MLK Jr. Day Environment and Equity Summit to be held January 21, 2013
• Network with other Vermont environmental and social justice student groups
• Explore RACE: Are We So Different? ECHO’s new traveling exhibit on the biology, culture, and history of race
   

Who Participates?

Teams of 5 or more students from colleges and high schools (high school teams must include at least one adult advisor) located in Vermont. Teams are commonly existing student groups, for example environmental and social justice groups. Individual students are also invited to attend.
 

How to Enroll

Identify a team of 5-10 students to represent your student group and then complete the online registration form. Multiple groups may attend from the same school, however enrollment has been capped at 10 students per group. For example, your school may send a team of 10 from its Amnesty International Group and a group of 10 from its Environmental Club. High School teams should include at least one adult advisor. We will fill spaces in the order that we receive completed registration forms. We will e-mail confirmations within one week of registration receipt. Individuals who would like to attend without a group may do so, however minors not part of a group must submit a signed liability waiver supplementary to their online registration in order to participate.
 

Commitment

The registration fee has been waived for the 2012 conference. However, teams are asked to commit to developing and completing an environmental & equity themed project or workshop to present to the public on MLK Jr. Day, January 21, 2013 as part of their participation in E2. This work includes:

• Reading over the MLK Jr. Day Planning Guide prior to the conference
• Meeting as a group during E2 to begin planning your project
• Corresponding with ECHO Staff about your project’s progress following the conference
• Presenting your project at the MLK Jr. Day Community Summit
   

Schedule

8:00 a.m. Check-in & Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks
9:30 a.m. Session 1 Workshops
10:45 a.m. Open Space
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:15 p.m. Session 2 Workshops
2:30 p.m. Movement Breakout
3:45 p.m. MLK Jr. Day Summit Planning Breakout
5:00 p.m. RACE Exhibit Exploration
6:00 p.m. Dinner & RACE Discussion

Meals

Meals are included as part of your participation in E2. Please indicate any dietary restrictions and RSVP for dinner in the space provided on your group registration form. In addition to dinner and lunch, a continental breakfast will be available during check-in and drinks and snacks in between scheduled events.

Workshops

E2 will offer two thematic breakout sessions composed of five workshops each. Session 1 will present an overview of Environmental Justice topics, including Food, Transportation, Climate Change, Environmental Toxins, and Building Just Communities. Session 2 will cover organizational strategies for effecting change. In order for your group to receive the most out of its E2 experience, we ask that you plan for at least one representative from your group to attend each workshop.

Session 1: Environment & Equity Topics

• Climate Change: Dr. Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux , Associate Professor of Geography & VT State Climatologist, University of Vermont
• Transportation: Chapin Spencer, Executive Director, Local Motion
• Food: The Vermont Foodbank with The Vermont Land Trust and Kingsbury Farm
• Environmental Toxins: Ita Meno, Health & Housing Inspector, City of Burlington/Cultural Competency Trainer, CQ Strategies
• Building Just Communities: Jennifer Green, Sustainability Officer, The Burlington Legacy Project

Session 2: Strategies for Change

• Getting the Message Out: Sharing your message with others: Matt McGrath, Community Organizer, Vermont Workers’ Center
• Getting Political: Being involved in the political process: Kesha Ram, State Representative, Vermont State Legislature
• Getting Personal: Using storytelling to effect change: Kim Jordan M.A., Theatre Practitioner and Teaching Artist, Theater-in Action
• Getting Empowered: Finding your voice: ECHO’s Environmental Teen Leadership Team, Burlington High School’s Shades of Ebony

Open Space

Open space is your opportunity during the conference to convene conversation not included in the formal agenda. In plenary, the group will propose topics to be discussed during an hour long break-out session. We will then combine and prioritize topics and indentify break-out locations. Following the break-out, groups will report back on what they have discussed.

MLK Jr. Day Environment & Equity Community Summit

The MLK Jr. Day Environment & Equity Community Summit will be the primary product of the E2 Student Leadership Conference. Organized by students, the summit will honor Dr King’s legacy as an advocate for change while answering his “ . . . most persistent and urgent question. . . What are you doing for others?”

The Summit will be part of the annual, nationwide MLK Jr. Day of Service whose stated goals is “to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, and create solutions to social problems.” It calls for people from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing problems. Paramount among these are the social inequities that MLK fought against and the environmental degradation that impacts us all.

At the MLK Day Jr. Community Summit, Vermont residents will gather to engage in conversations about how to create a just, environmentally sustainable future through community service, democratic engagement, and personal stewardship.
 

Brochure

Click to download our E2 brochure. (PDF)

Contact Us

If you are interested in getting your group involved, please contact:
Nina Ridhibhinyo, Group Programs Coordinator at ECHO
e2@echovermont.org  or 802.864.1848 ext. 142.