Teens Turning Green really outdid themselves with the 2011 Green University summit. Selected as one of twelve Project Green Challenge finalists, I had the pleasure of being flown out to San Francisco to participate in what was essentially a three-day green party. Eco-conscious makeovers, free food (vegan for me!), gorgeous hotels... it was the life!
But don't get me wrong, we learned a lot. On Saturday, finalists heard from leaders of eco-friendly businesses and initiatives -- such as Susie Hewson, founder of Natracare, and Beth Rattner, vice president of Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (what a name!) -- as they explained to us their journeys and own green philosophies. Everyone came away with tidbits of wisdom to use in our own lives. What hit me most was a simple statement from Rachna Kejriwal, marketing director of Kejriwal Paper USA, Ltd. She told us that you don't need trees to make paper! Not only post-consumer waste, but materials from the agricultural world, like sugar cane fibers, can also be used to make paper. Who knew?
Sunday was the day that we, the finalists, got down to business. With the help of mentors, we conceptualized platforms based around various sustainability initiatives, such as food wisdom, green clean, and re-use. These ideas will be brought to life by the finalists and Teens Turning Green in the upcoming year. We presented our platforms in groups... and then came the fun stuff: individual presentations before a panel of judges to decide the Project Green Challenge winner! I so enjoyed speaking and thought all of the presentations were amazing (watch them here!). After some serious deliberation, the judges chose Raychel Santo of Johns Hopkins University as the winner, with runner-up Sophia Walling-Bell, a high school student from Alaska. Congratulations to these two amazing ladies and to all of the finalists!
The summit was pure fun, even learning and working (who am I, right?!). Between great food and phenomenal prizes, getting to know the other finalists that I had waited so long to meet and being able to network with green leaders (including, of course, Judi Shils and Erin Schrode, the mom-and-daughter team who co-founded Teens Turning Green), I couldn't have asked for more! I was happy to get back to fighting the green fight in Indiana, but I miss the coast and all of the wonderful people that I met there.
I think that how enjoyable the summit was is a real testament to Teens Turning Green's genius methods. In general, they focus on making environmental awareness both palatable and interesting... and it really works! I'm sure that none of the finalists will forget Green University. We will carry what we have learned into 2012 and the future. After all, the eco-friendly word isn't going to spread itself!