on the conscious college road tour with turning green
Turning Green is a powerful nonprofit organization dedicated to education and advocacy about environmentally sustainable and socially responsible choices for individuals, schools, and communities. Their mission is to empower people with the knowledge to move from conventional to conscious living across all areas of life.
Each year, they take this mission on the road and visit more than a dozen college campuses to engage youth and mobilize action to sustain a healthy planet.
We were lucky to join Turning Green on the first stop of the tour at Chico State University.
We met with students at the Conscious Information Station, which serves to educate about key lifestyle categories: Food, Body, Style, Zero Waste, Clean, Space, and Hemp. Students were enthusiastically discussing topics such as GMO labeling, the benefit of organics, the toxins in conventional beauty products, and the history of industrial hemp agriculture in the United States.
A Town Hall Meeting brought students, faculty, and school leaders together to collaborate on a specific sustainability project to be developed on campus. In this way, students have a meaningful impact at their school and in their community. Campus reps have gone on to implement sustainability initiatives, such as composting and recycling programs, and inspired countless young people to create real change for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Co-founder, Eric Schrode helped create Turning Green when she was still a teenager. She speaks to youth all over the country about the environment, sustainability, and green living. She is particularly passionate about creating organic, sustainable food systems. She says,
“My vision for the future of food is one where everyone thinks of themselves as an active player in improving food systems, from start to finish, from building healthy soil to healthy bodies.”
Learn more about her inspiring journey.
Turning Green has year round initiatives that anyone can get involved with. High school and college students can participate in Project Green Challenge — 30 days of environmentally themed challenges that provide mentorship, advocacy, and leadership skills (and the chance to win awesome prizes). This program has impacted more than 15,000 students and mobilized student leaders to help sustain a healthy, just, and thriving planet through individual, campus, and large scale action.
Project Green Challenge 365 is an ongoing program open to everyone, everywhere who aspires to go green.
How will you be the change? Tell us in the comments below.
You can also read Turning Green’s interview with Nutiva Founder & CEO, John Roulac here.