thank you for ATTENDing THE 9TH ANNUAL ZERO WASTE YOUTH USA CONVERGENCE!
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9TH ANNUAL CONVERGENCE PROGRAM
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Opening Remarks - Main Hall
9:30 - 9:40 AM
9:30 - 9:40 AM
Land Acknowledgement & Keynote - Main Hall
9:40 - 10:15 AM
Carla Marie Munoz (She/Hers)
Tribal Councilwoman of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe
9:40 - 10:15 AM
Carla Marie Munoz (She/Hers)
Tribal Councilwoman of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe
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Carla Marie Munoz is a Tribal Councilwoman of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe. Serving as a tribal liaison for her people for the past nine years. Creating relationships between state parks, government agencies and other tribal communities. She is focused on creating space for ceremonies, land restorations, as well as tribal recognition. Dedicated to working with tribal youth to restore traditional knowledge and bring tangible culture. Singing alongside her grandfather Chief Tony Cerda for the past 23 years, as well as partnering with her Ohlone Sister to share their cultural heritage. Now working as an artist using shells to make contemporary jewelry and oil paintings.
Website: www.costanoanrumsen.org Instagram: @Nativebeautyspirit @Carlamariejewlry @Ohlonesisters Facebook: Carla Munoz artist / Ohlonesisters (Jewelry collections sold in Mission Dolores gift shop, Park Presidio of San Francisco Visitor Center, Coyote Hills Regional Park and Mission San Carlos gift shop) |
Break
10:20 - 10:30 AM
10:20 - 10:30 AM
Morning Sessions
10:30 - 11:20 AM
10:30 - 11:20 AM
Main Hall
Mobilizing For a GreenerWorld: A Global Session
The fight for climate change is happening on a global scale. Learn how these speakers are spearheading environmental solutions for one’s lifestyle and governments across the world.
Abishek Pradhan (He, him) (India)
Zero Waste Himalaya
Abishek Pradhan has been associated with Zero Waste Himalayan since the Peer Educators Fellowship Program 2020, currently he is the Communication and Coordination Officer of ZWH. He has also been selected as a Swachhta Sarthi Fellow by the Office of The Principal Scientific Advisory, Government of India, for the year 2021. By qualification he is an Electrical Engineer and by interest an Advocate of Sustainability.
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/zerowastehimalaya
Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/545192348931623/
Zero Waste Himalaya
Abishek Pradhan has been associated with Zero Waste Himalayan since the Peer Educators Fellowship Program 2020, currently he is the Communication and Coordination Officer of ZWH. He has also been selected as a Swachhta Sarthi Fellow by the Office of The Principal Scientific Advisory, Government of India, for the year 2021. By qualification he is an Electrical Engineer and by interest an Advocate of Sustainability.
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/zerowastehimalaya
Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/545192348931623/
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Anna Masiello
Content creator @hero_to_0 and founder of R-Coat (Portugal) Anna is an Italian living in Portugal with a Master Degree in Studies of the Environment and Sustainability. In 2017 she started her journey towards a zero waste and low impact lifestyle and since then she's been using her instagram account as a platform for digital activism. Part time content creator, full time social entrepreneur; Anna is the founder of the community-based brand R-Coat that turns broken umbrellas into high quality fashion. With more than 30 collection points all over Portugal, she already saved - together with the community - more than 1000 umbrellas from waste, showing that with creativity trash doesn't exist. Website: www.r-coat.com @hero_to_0 @shoprcoat |
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Fausto Fabian Perez de Lara Lopez (Mexico) (He/Him)
Fridays for Future Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Fausto Fabián (he/him) has been a climate activist since 2019 starting Fridays for Future in his city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He has been involved in various local movements to stop industrial projects that would quicken the destruction of the environment. He has made a great team of environmentalists that are consulted for environmental actions in Guadalajara. On October 1st he is taking office as Director of the Environmental Department of the City of Tonala. He seeks to make a government-activist office that makes the best choices concerning the environment, consulting the experts of the world to make the best of it. |
Room 2
Combating Park Pollution & Protecting Wildlife
Land-Stewards...more like Land-Whispers. Mother Nature is LITERALLY getting sick of the plastic litter found on our public lands, and these speakers know it by how the wildlife interact in the space. Join James Aliberti, California State Parks Interpretive Lead at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in San Francisco, CA and Mark Rose, Sierra Nevada Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association as they share their experience combating park pollution, and protecting wildlife.
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James Aliberti,
California State Parks Interpretive Lead (He/Him/His) James works as the interpretive lead at San Francisco’s Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, California’s first urban State Park. Primarily, he presents wildlife programs to youth on field trips, leads bird counts and habitat restoration days, and manages special events, while also covering maintenance, biology, and security issues. (Whew! There’s a lot to do out at The Stick, . . . why don’t you come out and join us?) Community outreach and relationship building with folks in the field, and simply enthusiastically enjoying the beauty of the wildlife along the shoreline, lead to many informal interpretive opportunities and beneficial encounters, with people and non-humans alike. Instagram: @CandlestickPointStateRecreationArea @Candlestickpointinterp |
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Mark Rose (he/him)
National Parks Conservation Association Sierra Nevada Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Mark holds a Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School and for the last four years has managed NPCA’s Sierra Nevada Field Office, located in Sacramento. In his role, Mark oversees NPCA’s various clean air, climate, and park protection campaigns centered on Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks. In addition to his this work, Mark also serves as NPCA’s local organizer on the Yosemite Zero Landfill Initiative. Website: https://www.npca.org/resources/3243-working-to-significantly-reduce-waste-at-national-parks |
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Room 3
Building A Better World With Youth Activism
The youth of today are dialed in. And when it comes to building a better world, and these high school senior environmental activists are not sleeping on the opportunity to use the technology to build a more inclusive and connected environmental movement in their communities. Hear from Amber Chen, Founder of Anti-Racist Planet, Devon Bradley, President of Miramonte Environmental Club, and Eva Geierstanger Founder & Leader Plastic Free Gen Z speak on their initiatives to fight racism, green city restaurants and pressure successful legislative action.
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Amber Chen (she/her) Founder of Anti-Racist Planet / Plastic Pollution Coalition Youth Ambassador / Senior @ South Pasadena HS Amber Chen (she/her) is currently a senior at South Pasadena High School. She became involved in climate activism her freshman year of high school, speaking at city council meetings, campaigning for her local chapter of Greenpeace, and helping a local zero-waste store organize high school volunteers. From there, she co-created a free summer plastics education-art program at the Arlington Garden for elementary-aged kids, using community plastic waste, which introduced her to the Plastic Pollution Coalition. That same summer, incidents of blatantly racist rhetoric from within the local climate groups she was working with made her realize that environmental justice had to be at the forefront of the climate movement. This all culminated in the creation of Anti-Racist Planet. Website:http://antiracistplanet.org/ IG @amberonradio @antiracistplanet |
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Devon Bradley (he/him) President of Miramonte Environmental Club / Recyclesmart Intern Devon Bradley is a senior at Miramonte High School and President of the Environmental Solutions Club. During the pandemic, he launched Project HEART (Help the Environment Assist Restaurant Takeout) with the objective of supporting local restaurants and promoting sustainability through the donation of compostable takeout supplies. After noticing that many restaurants were using styrofoam, Devon led a successful advocacy effort at the Orinda City Council to ban polystyrene takeout-ware. As a Recyclesmart intern, he helped organize an inter-district school Earth Day summit and implement a volunteer bin waste monitoring system. Along with his environmental passions, Devon enjoys public speaking, playing soccer, and mountain hiking. Instagram: devon.bradley22Environmentalsolutionsclub |
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Eva Geierstanger (She/Her)
Founder & Leader Plastic Free Gen Z Eva Geierstanger (she/her) is a high school senior at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, California. Eva is the founder and leader of Plastic Free Gen Z, a youth-led and run plastic awareness organization focused on educating youth about the connection between plastic pollution and climate change. As an organization, PFGZ is presenting to local elementary schools about plastic as well as working with local officials to address the plastics crisis through legislative action. As an activist, Eva is involved with SanDiego350.org's Youth4Climate program and Youth v. Oil. She is a Youth Intern for the Plastic Pollution Coalition and a Junior Commissioner for her local city council's Climate Action Commission. Next year, Eva will study Chemistry and Environmental Engineering in college. Instagram/TikTok @plasticfreegenz |
Lunch Break
11:20 AM - 1:00 PM
Zero Waste Food Tips & Tricks with Hillary Michelle - Main Hall
Midday Sessions
1:00 PM - 1:50 PM
1:00 PM - 1:50 PM
Main Hall
Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge Panel
This panel explores Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, with a focus on Native California. Panelists offer insights into Indigenous approaches to the environment. They also discuss ways non-Native peoples can respectfully partner with Indigenous communities.
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Abel Gomez (He/Him/His)
Moderator, Native American Studies Department, University of Oklahoma Abel R. Gomez (he/him) is an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Native American Studies Department at University of Oklahoma. His research, writing, and teaching center issues of Indigenous sacred sites protection, gender, and (de)colonization. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area (Ohlone territory), his family is originally from Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Mexico. Twitter: @jaratura |
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Carla Marie Munoz
Tribal Councilwoman of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe Carla Marie Munoz is a Tribal Councilwoman of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe. Serving as a tribal liaison for her people for the past nine years. Creating relationships between state parks, government agencies and other tribal communities. She is focused on creating space for ceremonies, land restorations, as well as tribal recognition. Dedicated to working with tribal youth to restore traditional knowledge and bring tangible culture. Singing alongside her grandfather Chief Tony Cerda for the past 23years, as well as partnering with her Ohlone Sister to share their cultural heritage. Now working as an artist using shells to make contemporary jewelry and oil paintings. |
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Desiree Munoz (She, her)
Tribal liaison of The Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe
Desiree Munoz is a Tribal Liaison for the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe, her background is educating little ones to adults about her people sending a message that “We are still here”. As a former Park Ranger for Golden GateNRA she continues to provide spaces for her tribal youth member's and travels with her OhloneSister throughout Ohlone Territory as a cultural barrier.
Tribal liaison of The Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe
Desiree Munoz is a Tribal Liaison for the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe, her background is educating little ones to adults about her people sending a message that “We are still here”. As a former Park Ranger for Golden GateNRA she continues to provide spaces for her tribal youth member's and travels with her OhloneSister throughout Ohlone Territory as a cultural barrier.
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Robin Meely Mother, teacher, and basket weaver, Navajo, Pomo, Choctaw and Coast Miwok |
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Room 2
Product Stewardship in Action Panel
Trying to reduce your footprint or your community’s footprint? Ever heard of product stewardship? In this session, you will learn what product stewardship is, and hear from three individuals who all work on promoting product stewardship for problem products (specifically single-use 1 lb. propane cylinders), and discover how to reduce waste in your community and promote reusables. Plus, learn how our speakers got to where they are in their careers!
Kamryn Kubose
Moderator (She/Her/Hers)
Kamryn Kubose is an Associate at the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), a nonprofit dedicated to producer responsibility policy and driving a circular economy. Kamryn works on over a dozen grants related to the reduction of household hazardous waste, particularly 1 lb. propane cylinders, solar panels, and marine flares. She spends some of her time developing a nonprofit, Central Valley Young Environmental Advocates, which seeks to connect like-minded people in the Valley, provide educational and networking opportunities, and prepare the next generation of environmental leaders. During undergrad at UCLA, she managed a student-run restroom water audit on 10 buildings on campus, and she worked closely with the Directors of Sustainability to submit AASHE STARS reporting documentation. Kamryn graduated from UCLA in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and is currently attending UC Davis for her Master’s in Environmental Policy and Management.
www.linkedin.com/in/kamrynkubose/
Moderator (She/Her/Hers)
Kamryn Kubose is an Associate at the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), a nonprofit dedicated to producer responsibility policy and driving a circular economy. Kamryn works on over a dozen grants related to the reduction of household hazardous waste, particularly 1 lb. propane cylinders, solar panels, and marine flares. She spends some of her time developing a nonprofit, Central Valley Young Environmental Advocates, which seeks to connect like-minded people in the Valley, provide educational and networking opportunities, and prepare the next generation of environmental leaders. During undergrad at UCLA, she managed a student-run restroom water audit on 10 buildings on campus, and she worked closely with the Directors of Sustainability to submit AASHE STARS reporting documentation. Kamryn graduated from UCLA in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and is currently attending UC Davis for her Master’s in Environmental Policy and Management.
www.linkedin.com/in/kamrynkubose/
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Josh Simpson (He/Him/His)
Co-Founder, Little Kamper Josh was raised in Berkeley, CA (BHS '82) where his family started recycling glass, metal, and newspaper at a community-run recycling center in the early '70s. His family started backpacking with the Sierra Club when he was in 1st grade and he spent many of his teenage summers camping and backpacking all over California. His commitment to environmental stewardship grew from his time as a Boy Scout and has continued through community service projects over the last four decades. Josh is a UCSD grad and one of the co-founders of Little Kamper LP. He lives in Brentwood, CA with his wife, two kids, and Milo the wonder-dog. Website: www.LittleKamper.com Facebook @LittleKamper Instagram @LittleKamper Twitter.com @LittleKamperLP YouTube.com/channel/UC_OfC-PVerMnGy7nYRZauKw |
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Courtney Scott (She/Her/Hers)
Household Hazardous Waste Program Manager, Zero Waste Sonoma
Courtney Scott is the HHW Program Manager for Zero Waste Sonoma (currently an all-female agency) managing the HHW, e-waste, and OPP programs. She lives in Santa Rosa with her husband and two rescue dogs where she likes to garden, bird watch, kayak, sew, and knit. She loves animals and is passionate about protecting the environment. Courtney has a BA from CSU, Chico in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Studies. In college, she volunteered for several environmental organizations and created a sustainability consulting group that remains on campus 14 years later.
www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyscotthhw
Website: ZeroWasteSonoma.gov
Instagram: @ZeroWasteSonoma
Facebook: @ZeroWasteSonoma
Household Hazardous Waste Program Manager, Zero Waste Sonoma
Courtney Scott is the HHW Program Manager for Zero Waste Sonoma (currently an all-female agency) managing the HHW, e-waste, and OPP programs. She lives in Santa Rosa with her husband and two rescue dogs where she likes to garden, bird watch, kayak, sew, and knit. She loves animals and is passionate about protecting the environment. Courtney has a BA from CSU, Chico in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Studies. In college, she volunteered for several environmental organizations and created a sustainability consulting group that remains on campus 14 years later.
www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyscotthhw
Website: ZeroWasteSonoma.gov
Instagram: @ZeroWasteSonoma
Facebook: @ZeroWasteSonoma
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Nate Pelczar (He/Him/His)
Special Projects Manager, California Product Stewardship Council Nate Pelczar is a Special Projects Manager at the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), a nonprofit dedicated to producer responsibility policy and driving a circular economy. Nate managed CPSC's largest grant project, the California Drug Take-Back Program, via a $3 million grant from the California Department of Health Care Services to combat the opioid epidemic. He oversaw the installation of hundreds of medicine take-back bins in communities across California. Nate is also involved in the management of over a dozen grants related to the reduction of household hazardous waste, single-use propane cylinders, and other material management issues. He holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University. Nate serves as Board Treasurer of the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association - California Chapter and Board Member of the Solid Waste Association of North America - California Gold Rush Chapter. Facebook: @CaliforniaPSC Instagram @CalPSC LinkedIn: @CalPSC |
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Room 3
Empowering and Educating the Next Generation: Zero Waste Schools
Zero Waste Youth USA knows that education spaces make the perfect container for environmental education, and it would not be possible without the support of diligent and passionate adult mentors to hold space. The success of the Zero Waste movement means Zero Waste Schools. Hear from our two adult mentors, Esther Tang and Devin Jackson. Esther Tang with the San Francisco Department of the Environment coordinates San Francisco’s school education program and works with students and teachers from multilingual and diverse backgrounds to provide a curriculum for environmental literacy and uplift the intersectional racial and social environmental movement. Hear from Devin Jackson, 6th-grade Foothill Middle School Teacher, and the Environmentally Concerned Kids Club (E.C.K). Devin, who coordinates the Club, and the students of E.C.K will share their mission-driven initiatives and experiences of distance learning and environmental education.
Devin Jackson & Environmentally Concerned Kids Club (He/Him/They)
6th Grade Earth, Life, & Physical Science/Engineering Teacher, Foothill Middle School
The E.C.K. Club guides, educates & supports students & staff with the essential knowledge & skills to lead a zero waste, climate change activism and environmental stewardship friendly mantra of “Think Globally, by Acting Locally” and “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve”, environmentally aware & sustainable life on campus. The E.C.K. club was founded over 22 years ago. Being "green" and “environmental stewards/citizen scientists” are fundamental aspects of the E.C.K. Club’s members mission and vision statements, actions, and daily life. The members of the E.C.K. club have a strong connection, passion, and bond with nature, the environment, environmental sustainability, eco-literacy, water, energy, resource conservation, recycling, composting, and other waste/landfill diversion practices. The E.C.K. Club’s goals are to listen & learn from community members, scientists & activists, and support “green” principles & practices to apply “Eco-Literacy” skills to educate community members to reduce single-use plastics, encourage schools & districts to apply zero waste practices, promote environmental awareness & sustainability education in schools & communities & encourage people to properly sort & divert their waste into the correct waste streams, i.e. recycling, compost & landfill. In May of 2018 - Foothill Middle School was Awarded a Bronze Level Green Ribbon School Award (GRSA), CA Dept. of Education & Waste Busters award for 75% waste diversion. Foothill is the first G.R.S.A school & district in Contra Costa County, CA. In 2019 - 2020 = NOAA Ocean Guardian program certification for 6Rs & waste diversion. In 2020 - 2021 = NOAA Ocean Guardian at Home Composting project.
6th Grade Earth, Life, & Physical Science/Engineering Teacher, Foothill Middle School
The E.C.K. Club guides, educates & supports students & staff with the essential knowledge & skills to lead a zero waste, climate change activism and environmental stewardship friendly mantra of “Think Globally, by Acting Locally” and “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve”, environmentally aware & sustainable life on campus. The E.C.K. club was founded over 22 years ago. Being "green" and “environmental stewards/citizen scientists” are fundamental aspects of the E.C.K. Club’s members mission and vision statements, actions, and daily life. The members of the E.C.K. club have a strong connection, passion, and bond with nature, the environment, environmental sustainability, eco-literacy, water, energy, resource conservation, recycling, composting, and other waste/landfill diversion practices. The E.C.K. Club’s goals are to listen & learn from community members, scientists & activists, and support “green” principles & practices to apply “Eco-Literacy” skills to educate community members to reduce single-use plastics, encourage schools & districts to apply zero waste practices, promote environmental awareness & sustainability education in schools & communities & encourage people to properly sort & divert their waste into the correct waste streams, i.e. recycling, compost & landfill. In May of 2018 - Foothill Middle School was Awarded a Bronze Level Green Ribbon School Award (GRSA), CA Dept. of Education & Waste Busters award for 75% waste diversion. Foothill is the first G.R.S.A school & district in Contra Costa County, CA. In 2019 - 2020 = NOAA Ocean Guardian program certification for 6Rs & waste diversion. In 2020 - 2021 = NOAA Ocean Guardian at Home Composting project.
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Esther Tang
Environmental Education Coordinator, Environmental Education Program San Francisco Department of the Environment Esther is a multicultural connector with a strong belief that all of us can have a shared language and understanding towards a larger collective impact on the climate crisis. Trained as a scientist with administrative experience in the biotechnology world, Esther realized her calling as an environmental educator after many years of experience enhancing Math and Science learning for students. At SF Department of Environment (SF Environment), Esther uses her skills in connecting students and teachers from multilingual and diverse backgrounds and believes in intersectional environmentalism to uplift the environmentalist in all of the youth and teachers in her community. |
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Afternoon Sessions
2:00 PM - 2:50 PM
2:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Main Hall
Zero Waste Youth Alumni Career Panel
This panel is composed of former Zero Waste Youth USA alumni who were all instrumental in the creation, and expansion of the ZWYUSA organization. Today, they are zero waste industry professionals. These talented and dedicated folks consist of non-profit founders, company owners, and government agency officials. They will talk about how they paved a way into the environmental sector to address some of our biggest issues from engaging voters to implementing waste prevention programs. Find out where and how you fit into the zero waste and climate action space.
Diedre Tanenberg (She, her)
Public Affairs Assistant Coordinator, San Francisco Department of the Environment
Diedre Tanenberg is an environmentalist in the Bay Area passionate about sustainable materials management, waste reduction, and educating our local communities about environmental solutions. When it comes to educating local communities, Diedre employs her skills in ensuring that the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and sign language community are to be included.
In the last year and a half, Diedre has taken on multiple roles. She continues to educate the public on zero waste principles given her experience on the grassroots outreach team; Environment Now, that launched her career to now include public policy beyond zero waste. She strives to create meaningful change to the way the city and county’s policy and outreach delivers a cohesive message surrounding wasted food, promote sustainable closed loop systems, and reduce harmful toxic products, and eliminate single-use foodware.
Public Affairs Assistant Coordinator, San Francisco Department of the Environment
Diedre Tanenberg is an environmentalist in the Bay Area passionate about sustainable materials management, waste reduction, and educating our local communities about environmental solutions. When it comes to educating local communities, Diedre employs her skills in ensuring that the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and sign language community are to be included.
In the last year and a half, Diedre has taken on multiple roles. She continues to educate the public on zero waste principles given her experience on the grassroots outreach team; Environment Now, that launched her career to now include public policy beyond zero waste. She strives to create meaningful change to the way the city and county’s policy and outreach delivers a cohesive message surrounding wasted food, promote sustainable closed loop systems, and reduce harmful toxic products, and eliminate single-use foodware.
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Emmanuel Nava (He, him)
Zero Waste Specialist II, Castro Valley Sanitary District Emmanuel began his zero waste journey working for the R4 Recycling Program at UC Davis. After college, Emmanuel began working for a waste hauler before serving in city government and several years in waste consulting. With his experience, Emmanuel returned to the public sector as a Zero Waste Specialist II for the Castro Valley Sanitary District where he currently assists businesses on their path to zero waste. Emmanuel helped to found Zero Waste Youth USA and plan the first Zero Waste Youth Convergence in the U.S.! He is excited to see the growth of Zero Waste Youth USA and be part of an inclusive movement seeking to address climate change. |
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Melissa Romero (She, her)
Legislative Affairs Manager, California Environmental Voters As Legislative Affairs Manager with the California Environmental Voters, Melissa's role includes representing the organization in the state’s capitol, lobbying state lawmakers to pass climate, environmental, and elections policy in partnership with organizations and coalitions working together to advance priority legislation. Her work includes tracking and prioritizing legislation, representing California Environmental Voters on a variety of coalitions and networks, working with state legislators and their staff to advance policy solutions, informing the annual Environmental Scorecard, facilitating the Green California network, and being the organization’s voice in the State Capitol. Prior to California Environmental Voters in 2019, Melissa worked at Californians Against Waste for 2 years advancing waste reduction and recycling legislation. Melissa graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in Environmental Science & Policy in 2015. |
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Jency James (She, her)
Sustainability Project Manager, County of Alameda Office of Sustainability Jency James has been involved in the world of waste for the past 7 years. She started her career as a Recycling Coordinator for Republic Services where she worked with businesses and apartment/condominium complexes in central Contra Costa County to implement recycling and composting programs and collaborated with volunteers and city staff to organize city-wide zero waste events. Jency now serves in Alameda County's General Services Agency as a Sustainability Project Manager where she manages the County's waste and recycling program. She is excited to implement waste reduction and reuse into the program as part of the shift to the circular economy and seeks to help County employees rethink waste. In her free time, Jency enjoys going on long hikes, reading intense thrillers, and giving her dog belly rubs. |
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Room 2
Zero Waste Advocacy in College
Campuses are prime places to impact and advocate for change when it comes to zero waste and sustainability. Learn about how these speakers are working as and alongside college students to bring about the change that will only become more crucial as we continue the global fight against climate change. From student-led research and policy initiatives to outreach and efforts to make the sustainability movement more inclusive and accessible.
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Maddie Wilson (she/her/hers)
Undergraduate Student, UCLA Maddie is a fourth year UCLA Environmental Science student involved with UCLA Sustainability. Maddie became involved with sustainability at UCLA through Sustainability Action Research (SAR), co-leading a team to study students’ zero waste habits and perspectives in her third year. She now serves as the co-director for the SAR program, creating and guiding seven student-led teams to tackle different areas of sustainability on campus. Maddie also serves as a member of The Green Initiative Fund, a student government funding body that supports projects that improve UCLA’s campus sustainability efforts. Her work within UCLA centers around sustainability through an environmental justice and equity lense. IG: @SARucla https://www.instagram.com/sarucla/ SAR website: https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/sar/, https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/sar/our-work/ |
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Kyle Alves (He/Him/His)
Sustainability Reporting and Outreach Coordinator, UC Office of the President Kyle Alves is a recent UCLA Environmental Science Graduate working to forward climate resilience and EDI practices within the UC System. His most recent work has included studies on the California cap-and-trade program impacts on disadvantaged communities, a life cycle assessment of lab-grown meats, and how to make zero waste communications more inclusive on college campuses. Impassioned to enact lasting change, he is currently working within UCOP to learn how large systems can shift further towards equitable and resilient practices. Kyle hopes to utilize his unique biracial and LGBTQ perspective to bring other passionate climate activists together moving forward. IG: @kalves830 |
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Young Grguras (they/them)
Campaign Director, Post-landfill Action Network Young started with PLAN right after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019. While on campus, they organized the fossil fuel divestment campaign, and worked for the Student Office of Sustainability. Young's involvement with The People over Petro Co. & the fight to resist the petrochemical expansion of the Ohio River Valley led to their cross over from the climate change movement to the zero waste movement. While they reside in Pittsburgh, their work focuses on eliminating single use plastic in higher education all across the US. They are also the manager of their local farmers market, and love to grow potatoes in the backyard. FB/IG: @postlandfill |
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Sydney Marie Perry (she/her/hers)
Senior at the University of Arizona studying Environmental Science Sydney Marie Perry (she/her/hers) is currently a Senior at the University of Arizona studying Environmental Science. Growing up in Tucson, she always enjoyed spending time outdoors, and this, coupled with an opportunity to be a member of the University of Arizona Eco-Reps, a job as a Compost Specialist with the UArizona Compost Cats, and a very inspirational professor, has sparked her passion for sustainability and sustainable lifestyles. Some of her favorite sustainability topics include composting, zero-waste, consumption reduction and recycling, and environmental inclusivity and accessibility! Website: https://sustainability.arizona.edu/projects/compost-cats IG: @uarizona_compostcats |
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BREAK
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM
Raffle Giveaways & Closing Remarks - Main Hall
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
