PERC's first in-person Fall Conference in three years! We invite faculty, staff, and students of PA Colleges and Universities - as well as public and private sector leaders in the arts, clean energy, planning, public health, and policy - to explore the Keystone state's potential for leadership on sustainability, even in the face of an uncertain economy.
Across the Commonwealth, colleges, universities, and communities are working together to face big challenges. Our higher education members are confronting environmental justice and equity issues, collaborating to draw down carbon emissions and support climate change adaptation, and empowering young people to be the change they want to see in the world. PERC is committed to making a difference and promoting positive change through collaboration and partnerships. This conference will celebrate our successes and provide ideas and solutions for the challenges that lie before us.
Conference highlights include:
Keynote Speaker: Malcolm Kenyatta, State Representative for the 181st Legislative District in Philadelphia County, vice chair of the Philadelphia House Delegation, and a member of the Governor’s Taskforce on Suicide Prevention. Kenyatta is the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color and one of the youngest members elected to the PA General Assembly.
Deeply committed to creating an equitable and inclusive society, Kenyatta fights for racial justice, economic fairness, workers' rights, affordable education, healthcare, and childcare, and decisive actions to tackle the climate crisis. Don't miss this inspiring talk.
Lunchtime Sustainability Showcase: Judd Greenstein, Composer of A Marvelous Order.
Student Sustainability Poster and Project Symposium, to celebrate and share the sustainability works of all students across the commonwealth. Submissions can range from research posters to creative writing, sculptures, and beyond from all academic backgrounds and departments. Submit your work here.
This program will feature other speakers and panels on:
- How we can face the challenges and opportunities for a zero-carbon campus;
- How campuses and communities can collaborate to meet shared sustainability and educational goals;
- The arts and music as vehicles for social consciousness;
- How, in a world fraught with hyper-partisanship and division, we can continue to advocate effectively; and
- Student voices and student action.
Click here to download the conference packet and agenda.
This conference is made possible by our hosts the Penn State University chapter of Net Impact and the Sustainability Institute at Penn State. Support also comes from all of PERC's sponsors, including Sodexo, NextEra Energy, and Nania Energy. This year's poster session is fully underwritten by the Sustainability Institute. Our thanks to all.