https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jIH1fUqZU It may not be apparent, but school lunches are a huge source of plastic waste. That’s why the organization Cafeteria Culture has teamed up with the Urban School Food Alliance to bring us Plastic Free Lunch Day, which challenges schools to reduce the use of plastics in school meals. Seven Generations Ahead’s (SGA) Zero […]
Farmers and School Buyers Connect at Eve...
Where better to connect local farms to schools that want to source local food than at the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Everything Local Conference? It took place January 17th – 19th this year in Springfield, and featured keynote speaker Chef Rick Bayless. But Illinois Farm to School Network’s program manager, Diane Chapeta, wasn’t there for the […]
Lake Michigan School Food System Innovat...
Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub Launches in Illinois to Fuel Change for Our Region’s School Food System Application opens on February 1; interested grant applicants can now register for launch event [Oak Park, Illinois], Jan. 11, 2024 — Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub announced today that it will open funding opportunities […]
C4 and Cook County Composting and Recycl...
Recent heat, drought, and air quality issues in the Chicago area underscored the vital importance of this year’s GreenTown: Climate and Equity conference. Held on June 22nd at Triton College, the conference brought together sustainability advocates from communities throughout Chicagoland and beyond. Among the topics of the day were renewable energy, active transportation, and decarbonization. […]
Heineman Middle School’s Roadmap to Zero
What do you do when you want to reduce lunchroom waste at your school, but your waste hauler can’t provide composting service? You make a roadmap! Seven Generations Ahead’s (SGA) Zero Waste Schools (ZWS) program is excited to pursue a new project that guides schools through the process of waste reduction at the source – […]
Oak Park’s New Rec Center Leads the Way
From left to right: Park District of Oak Park Executive Director, Jan Arnold, Seven Generations Ahead Executive Director, Gary Cuneen, and Park District of Oak Park Superintendent of Parks and Planning, Chris Lindgren at a preview of the new Community Recreation Center On Sunday, May 21st, the Park District of Oak Park held a ribbon […]
Carl Von Linné Elementary School is Thri
Seven Generations Ahead’s Zero Waste Schools (ZWS) program is celebrating another successful launch at a local school. The ZWS team oversaw what was actually a relaunch of the zero waste program at Carl Von Linné Elementary School, a Chicago Public School (CPS) with 648 students. Von Linné has been a part of the program since […]
Lincoln Park High School Launches Zero W...
On March 14, 2023 Lincoln Park High School (LPHS) in Chicago Public Schools, a school of 2,060 students, officially launched its zero waste program in the lunchroom and kitchen. According to Gary Cuneen, Seven Generations Ahead’s (SGA) Founder and Executive Director, “This launch is part of SGA’s work to support CPS in establishing food scrap […]
We’re Going Big For Great Apple Crunch 2
Photo courtesy of Healthy Lombard The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder. Kids are heading back to school, and fall is in the air! We know pumpkins get a lot of love this time of year, but we’ve got our eyes on all those crisp, juicy apples at the farmer’s market. We’ve […]
A Climate in Crisis and How Our Food Mak...
By Jennifer Nelson In December 2021 Seven Generations Ahead shared an article What is the connection between food and the climate crisis? We outlined climate impacts of food waste and highlighted actions we can all take at home, at work, and in our communities. So where do we stand today in our work to reduce […]