By Katie Koenig
The Teach-In on Sustainability is almost here! For the 2024 Fall run, it goes from Wednesday, November 20th to Friday the 22nd. I’ll cover some background information before describing some of the workshops and panels at the end of November.
The Teach-In on Sustainability obviously shares its name with Emerson’s Teach-In on Race. In fact, it was directly inspired by the Teach-In on Race, which began in 2016 to provide a series of speakers and a keynote speaker to highlight major discussions related to the topic.
Marketing and Communications Chair Nejem Raheem started the Teach-In on Sustainability in spring 2023, and this round will be the third.
In 2023, there was a large focus across speakers on sustainable storytelling, whether in creative writing, researching across disciplines, green media production, or spreading awareness!
In spring 2024, with Lydia Dean Pilcher, a filmmaker and activist, as the keynote speaker, the speakers tended to focus on green jobs. How do you bring sustainable practices into your existing work, but also what jobs center around sustainability to begin with?
For fall 2024, the event will be a bit smaller and more focused on Emerson faculty, but speakers will cover a wider range of topics than the last two Teach-Ins. With a mixture of sustainability in communications and positioning sustainability advocacy within other social justice movements, it will be a week to remember!
You won’t be able to make it to every event—several of them, especially on Thursday, are scheduled for the same time slot. On Wednesday, there’s a workshop from 2pm to 3:30pm. Thursday has three slots, one form 10 am to noon, one from noon to 1:45pm and another from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. Friday has the most, with hour-long speakers most of the day and a 24-Hour Play Festival from 7pm to 8:30pm.
Check out the schedule to see what topics will be covered and if you can go to any of these time slots! EGC’s own Compost Concert in the Loft will run on Friday from noon to 2pm, so make sure you swing by for refreshments and tabling for that, too!
There will also be prizes if you participate in the Teach-In’s brand new Passport program!
At your first event, you can pick up a printed card, your ‘passport,’ with a list of all events and Compost Concert tabling options. You can earn a stamp at each event you go to, including your first. For a stamp at the Compost Concert, you will need to stop by at least three tables.
You can submit your Passport in the submission box at any event you like, although of course it would be best to submit it at the last event you are planning on attending.
The four attendees with the most stamps on their cards will receive a prize, which are different colors of large Owala bottles.
We’re excited to see you all at the Teach-In on Sustainability for fall 2024!