Three more schools in Chicago Public Schools are ending the academic year by going green! John M. Palmer Elementary, Alcott College Prep Elementary, and Louis B. Nettelhorst Elementary all launched zero waste programs in the month of April. With this latest expansion, the Zero Waste Schools (ZWS) team at Seven Generations Ahead has now launched […]
Seeing is Believing, as Broadview and Ma...
Sometimes, seeing is believing. Beye Elementary School in Oak Park School District 97, has been implementing a zero waste program in the lunchroom for many years. As a school in the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4), it was the perfect place to bring other school districts in C4 communities to see a zero waste program […]
Village of Broadview and C4 win Major De...
Broadview Mayor, Katrina Thompson (center right) and other west suburban municipal leaders at the C4 Memorandum of Understanding signing in 2022. Seven Generations Ahead (SGA) is thrilled to announce that the Village of Broadview and the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4) were awarded an Energy Futures Grant from the Department of Energy. The grant funding […]
Preventing Food Waste Helps the Planet a...
When hunger coexists with abundance, the issue of food waste becomes more critical than ever. Each year, staggering amounts of food are needlessly discarded, not only squandering precious resources but also exacerbating environmental challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions and landfill pollution. However, amidst this challenge lies an opportunity for change. As we approach this […]
More Schools Going Green and SGA can Hel...
K-12 schools are some of the most important institutions in a community, and also present a real opportunity for impactful sustainability initiatives. As a leader in providing sustainability support for K-12 schools, Seven Generations Ahead (SGA) has had a front seat to this growing trend. Around the greater Chicago area, and indeed the country, school […]
Five Tips for a Successful Plastic Free ...
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 – […]