At kickoff events for our Student Sustainability Design Challenge (SSDC), students met dozens of professionals in the sustainability field and brainstormed ideas for moving their own communities toward greater sustainability.
Professionals from nearly two dozen businesses, universities, and nonprofits supported students at both kickoffs and will connect with them throughout the year, providing information about careers and the many ways their organizations work to advance sustainability
Now in its second year, SSDC expanded to two kickoffs for 2024-2025 to accommodate more than 190 students from 17 districts, roughly doubling in size from 2023-2024. As in previous years, the events took place at Pittsburgh’s Energy Innovation Center (EIC). Students will reconvene in the spring to present their projects, all of which will aim to advance one or more of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We offer SSDC because it helps students see the relevancy of classroom learning and provides avenues for exploring careers and developing employability skills,” said the Consortium’s Executive Director Jackie Foor. “At the same time, the program gives our corporate and community partners opportunities to connect with students and build awareness of the work they’re doing and the career pathways they offer.”
One Allegheny Valley School District student, Sedona, found discussions with professionals eye-opening.
For one thing, Sedona said she was surprised to learn how many adults find their way into careers unrelated to their fields of study. “It seems like you can end up anywhere, no matter what you did originally,” she said, astonished at how many of the career professionals she met started out doing something other than the kind of work they’re doing now.
Additionally, Sedona found it surprising that “sustainability” for society encompasses so many things. “I was surprised to learn it’s not just about the environment.”
Similarly, Jennifer Torrance, Youth Climate Advocacy Coordinator for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, was thrilled to see students with such varied personal interests all taking an interest in sustainability projects.
“It wasn’t just students who said they care about the environment or care about the health field,” said Torrance. “It was a whole range of different interests that brought them together around the SDGs.”
Among other things, Torrance was excited for the opportunity to discuss programs and classes Phipps offers for educators, students, and others in the community.
Interacting with community partners like Phipps is incredibly beneficial for students, said Kelly Ber, a teacher at Mt. Pleasant Junior High School, who had a class participating last year and will again this year.
“I think it helps them make connections between what we do in the school and what they’ll eventually be doing,” she said, adding that “a lot of the benefit they get out of the project is learning how to collaborate with each other.”
Interested in supporting the SSDC? Any business, non-profit, or post-secondary institutions that would like to participate in the spring student showcase can contact the Consortium’s Director of Partnerships, Gina Barrett at gbarrett@tcfpe.org
The Consortium extends its thanks to sponsoring organizations, including Ebara Elliott Energy, EQT, Pitt Ohio, PNC Bank, PPG Industries, and UPMC.
