POSTPONED

The April 23 Teen Summit and Maker Faire is postponed. We will provide updates soon!

You can still sign up to attend or sponsor if you want to get an email once we set the rescheduled date.

Organizers from the Denmon Center and The Climate Economy Education Inc would like to welcome you all to the first annual Earth Day Teen Summit and Maker Faire!

Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022 – Day After Earth Day
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Dentmon Center, 880 High Street, Carbondale IL 62901
Audience: Students, school groups, and youth clubs from all over Southern Illinois are invited to attend! You can just attend or you can request a table for your exhibit (as part of the Maker Faire).

The day after Earth Day, this event aims to educate, inspire and energize our youth, and empower them to solve problems and make positive change in our communities. Students can participate in discussions, show off their “making” talents from art and music to robotics, share information about their clubs or groups, and learn great stuff about making a difference!

Students, high schools, youth clubs and all teens are welcome to attend! You can sign up individually at the link above or through your school or club if you know of one signing up students.

If you are an adult, please share with teens, makers, schools, youth groups and potential sponsors. (And thank you!)
Also Adults, we are working with the Jackson County Mass Transit District to pick up and bring home students on the day of the event, so please get in touch if you’d like to sign up your student(s). 618 713 2896 Finally adults, if you are a maker and want to share your awesomeness to inspire teens, please also call the number above.

Thanks to our sponors, Southern Illinois Healthcare, Illinois Humanities and Southern Illinois Community Foundation!

The day’s activities will include:
—Teen Summit: student-led discussions on topics relevant to teens and their power to make positive change
—Team Building: fun activities to bring all attendees together and build trust
—Education: presentations, demonstrations, workshops and movie screenings on Earth Day-related topics
—Maker Faire: an opportunity for students to come together to show what they’ve made and share what they’re learning; this is an official Maker Faire (https://makerfaire.com/); Mobile Maker (https://www.maker13.com/), a group from Indiana with a working maker space built in a container unit will be on hand for demonstrations and workshops.

The day’s activities will include:

• Teen Summit: student-led discussions on topics relevant to teens and their power to make positive change
• Team Building: fun activities to bring all attendees together and build trust
• Education: presentations, demonstrations, workshops and movie screenings on Earth Day-related topics
• Maker Faire: an opportunity for students to come together to show what they’ve made and share what they’re learning; this is an official Maker Faire. Mobile Maker, a group from Indiana with a working maker space built in a container unit will be on hand for demonstrations and workshops.

Participating high schools or youth groups that either already have or want to start a maker club can get a one-year free membership in the Make Organization, with more details available on the website. Businesses and community organizations are welcome to support the event by participating or donating, or helping to spread the word.
The full agenda for the event will be announced the week of April 18th.

Maker Faire

This event is an official Maker Faire Event! Carbondale Community High School’s Maker Club has been helping to organize the event from the start, which is why their name is on the logo, but this event is for ALL SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOLS and COLLEGE AGE MAKERS! Makers, clubs, schools, students register here (where it says “Register Today”). In the registration form you can please let us know if you want a table or exhibit space and if you need a ride. we will have some prizes for some “Earth Day” themed categories, and others. We may also have space for adult makers so go ahead and register and we’ll be in touch.

We are excited to report that the Maker Mobile group will be in attendance:

All schools, clubs and individuals can access and use for free the Green Venturing / Make Projects Hub.

Do you have a Maker Club at your school or want to start one? GREAT!! The first ten schools or maker clubs to sign up will receive one year of MAKE membership, which includes:

• Membership to Make: Community
• Access to online content, including project curriculum and video library, throughout the year
• Opportunities for field trips with awesome makers from across the globe!
• Access to the School Maker Faire Organizer Network with direct chat and communication functions.
• Digital Subscription to Make: magazine, full digital archive (you as the primary contact can designate an address to receive the print version)
• Access to educator events, classes, kits, Make: magazine, and Make: books.
• A monthly Maker Education newsletter.

Become a Sonsor!

This is an exciting, challenging time for our youth! We need to show them our support and help them to blaze a trail for our communities’ futures. You can sponsor financially or in kind. Here is the budget and what is covered so far:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2022
Carbondale, Illinois
Media Contact: Kamaria Harmon, kamaria.harmon@siu.edu, 708 417 5049
Event information: http://greenventuring.earth/

First Annual Southern Illinois Teen Summit and Maker Faire in Carbondale Saturday, April 23

Youth-led discussion forums, education, team-building and an official Maker Faire to inspire and energize local youth

CARBONDALE, IL—On Saturday, April 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the first annual Southern Illinois Teen Summit and Maker Faire will take place in-person at the Dentmon Center in Carbondale, Illinois. The day after Earth Day, this event aims to educate, inspire and energize our youth, and empower them to solve problems and make positive change in our communities. This event is organized by local nonprofits The Dentmon Center and The Climate Economy Education Inc. 

Thanks to sponsorships from Southern Illinois Healthcare, Illinois Humanities, and the organizers, the event is free and open to all high-school and college-age students in the region. Sponsorships are still open. Snacks and lunch will be provided, and door prizes and other swag will be given out. Work is being done to shuttle students from farther reaches of the region including Murphysboro, Marion, Harrisburg, Cairo and East St. Louis. People can learn more about the event, how to participate, volunteer or sponsor at http://greenventuring.earth/.

Students from Carbondale Community High School’s Maker Club have been helping to organize, and they are hoping that students from all over the region will be able to attend. This is a student driven, student run and community supported event where participants can feel safe to express themselves openly.  

The day’s activities will include:

• Teen Summit: student-led discussions on topics relevant to teens and their power to make positive change
• Team Building: fun activities to bring all attendees together and build trust
• Education: presentations, demonstrations, workshops and movie screenings on Earth Day-related topics
• Maker Faire: an opportunity for students to come together to show what they’ve made and share what they’re learning; this is an official Maker Faire (https://makerfaire.com/); Mobile Maker (https://www.maker13.com/), a group from Indiana with a working  maker space built in a container unit will be on hand for demonstrations and workshops. 

High school students or groups that want to participate in the maker faire can contact the organizers or sign up online. At CCHS, student counselors are helping to sign up students. Adult makers who have an exhibit and a workshop to share with students are welcome to contact the organizers. Participating high schools or youth groups that either already have or want to start a maker club can get a one-year free membership in the Make Organization, with more details available on the website. Businesses and community organizations are welcome to support the event by participating or donating, or helping to spread the word.

The full agenda for the event will be announced the week of April 18th.

Aaron Lee, a co-organizer of the summit and faire, says the ultimate goal is to empower young people to understand they can invoke change in their communities and can be leaders for generations to follow. “The participants should leave the summit with a sense of accomplishment and validation that they make a difference in their future as it relates to issues like climate change, race, ethnicity, social media, violence against women, and gender identity,” Lee said.

Amy McMorrow Hunter, CEO of The Climate Economy and co-organizer says that this is just the beginning of this movement. “We are helping to build a youth-led program with year-round resources where students can get involved, work together, put their ideas to work in the real world and make a difference,” McMorrow Hunter said. 

For more information and to register to attend or sponsor, please visit the Teen Summit and Maker Faire website. For questions regarding the event contact Amy McMorrow Hunter amy@theclimateeconomy.com, 618 713 2896, or Aaron Lee lee.aaron83@yahoo.com. We would like to thank Kamaria Harmon of SIU Carbondale for her help with media relations.

The Justin Dentmon Athletic Center, https://www.thedentmoncenter.com/ 

Dentmon Center promotes physical fitness in a fun, safe, and clean environment. We are the top Sports Complex in the Southern Illinois area, offering sports programs, training clinics, and a first-class fitness center. Our facilities are also available for rentals at selected times for personal events. As the most innovative sports facility in Southern Illinois, Dentmon Center is the premier destination for individuals, families, athletes, and businesses. With more than 35,000 square feet of usable space under one roof, our unique capacity creates an unparalleled experience for our guests.

The Climate Economy Education Inc, https://theclimateeconomy.com/ 

The Climate Economy is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit for education and experimentation on business models and lifestyles that are good for the climate, economy and humanity. Our mission is to empower every individual, through youth-led community-based generative change, to build wealth and live their purpose in service to all life on earth, nurturing nature and human well-being. We provide a growing variety of educational programs and resources for youth, parents, teachers, entrepreneurs, changemakers, communities and businesses.