Chicago Conservation Corps Trainees lead environmental service projects across the city. C3 Partners hold several volunteer workdays throughout the year. See below for a list of ongoing projects and upcoming project dates.
To participate in any of the activities below, or to learn more about how to volunteer, see details below, or email conservation@cityofchicago.org. Please include the C3 Trainee or Partner’s name in your email message.
Visit our Partners here.
C3 Project Calendar
Ongoing C3 Projects
Anna Smunt: Green Routine
42nd Ward, Intrax International Institute
Anna’s project team at Intrax International Institute will perform a waste audit of their space and determine areas for improvement. A series of changes will be made thereafter to green the office from reducing, reusing and installing a more effective recycling system; reducing airborne toxins, energy and water usage by offering a workshop for teachers, staff and students on how to do this most effectively; and following up by making changes to the building. Students at the Institute will have to opportunity to participate in campaigns to increase the school’s positive impact on the environment.
William Morrisett: Low Carbon Diet/Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Campaign
4th/5th Ward
Bill is working with his project team to promote the Low Carbon Diet, a program to reduce a homeowner’s carbon footprint by 5,000 pounds. Bill will hold a South Side Global Warming Café to create a forum to discuss global warming hopes, fears, and actions. Groups will discuss their thoughts on global warming in the context of the social and economic diversity of the Chicago South Side. Participants will be asked to take personal action and reduce their carbon footprint by 5,000 pounds.
Lynne Roberts: Living Green in Lakeview
44th Ward, Lakeview – Southport corridor
Residents of the Southport corridor area of Lakeview will be educated on energy-saving ideas and services that the City of Chicago provides. CFLs, canvas totes, blue bags for recycling, and faucet aerators will be distributed to attendees so that they may start practicing environmental inititatives in their homes. Information on composting, blue bin drop-off locations, and rain barrels will also be available.
Aaron Schreiber-Stainthorp: Low Carbon Diet in Rogers Park
49th Ward, Roger’s Park
The Low Carbon Diet is a tool for connecting a small group of individuals (6-12) to work together to improve their environmental footprint. After their first meeting, everyone in Aaron’s group will calculate their carbon footprint and over the course of two months, will attempt to lower their total carbon dioxide emissions by 5,000 pounds. The group will meet regularly to discuss what actions they have done and what actions they intend to do, using the group for feedback, idea and support.
Jen Bakija: Taking Part in the Blue Cart with Truman Square Neighbors
46th Ward, Truman Square, 4600 Block of Winthrop Avenue
In the Spring and Summer of 2008, Jen and her project team will give personalized information to those in her Blue Cart neighborhood by going door to door to educate neighbors on what and how to recycle with the City’s Blue Cart program. For those neighbors who reside in multi-unit buildings and do not participate in the city’s Blue Cart Program, information will be provided on ways to have the building’s private waste hauler pick up and properly manage their recycling.
Alison Benjamin: Greater Independence Park (GIPNA) Recycling Education and Outreach
35th Ward
Alison and her project team will inform new residents about recycling options in her GIPNA neighborhood and provide a forum for support and feedback on ways to improve their participation and overall environmental impact.
Melanie Kumler: No Bag Please: Reusable Bag Campaign and Outreach
43rd Ward, Old Town
Melanie and her project team will encourage the use of reusable bags in her neighborhood to support waste reduction and cleaner living in Old Town. No need to double bag your groceries if you use your own sturdy cloth bag. Cloth bags hold more and keep plastic bags out of landfills and from blowing around the city.
Michelle Kaicener: Roll of the Barrel: Rain barrel distribution in Independence Park
39th Ward, West Walker
Michelle will sell rain barrels in her West Walker neighborhood and provide installation guidance and demonstrations. Rain barrels are instrumental in home stormwater management and serve as useful tools in garden and home maintenance.
Cari McLean: Reuse-A-Shoe: Sneaker Recycling Outreach and Education
46th Ward/City-wide
In partnership with organizations that already have gym shoe reuse and recycling services in place, such as Nike Stores and its participating partner retail stores, athletic clubs, schools and colleges, Cari will work to increase gym shoe reuse and recycling efforts in the Chicago Runner Community via targeted publicity of drop-off sites at Chicago gyms, with Chicago running groups and more, as well as special collection events during at least three Chicago Running Races. Gym shoes collected through special collection events will be given to Nike’s Partner Organizations who reuse and recycle old gym shoes into sport surfaces for communities around the world.
Carryn Quibell: Adopt Our Block in Logan Square
26th/35th Ward, Logan Square – Albany Ave
Carryn is working with neighbors to organize an on-going monthly block clean-up and recycling program. Neighbors and community members will come together to clean up the litter on the block; establish a long term program to manage litter in the area; and ensure that litter and waste recovered is disposed of in the most effective way possible.
Lisa Scacco: Green Publishing at Lake Claremont Press
27th Ward, West Loop
Lisa’s project greens a publishing company – from the office and work environment itself through its workflows and its publications and books.
Jeffrey Nolish: One More Care Giver Giving and Caring: Water Conservation Campaign at the Lincoln Park Athletic Club Kid’s Club Child Care
32nd Ward, Lincoln Park
Jeffrey will alert children, parents and staff about various water conservation tools and techniques that they can apply at home. Families will each receive faucet aerators to minimize the amount of water that flows from their kitchen or bathroom sink and informational tips on conserving water.
Patricia Marshall: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Campaign in North Lawndale/Douglas Park
2nd Ward, Douglas Park
Patricia plans to bring community organizations together to educate them on the importance of reduction, reuse, and recycling. This outreach will culminate in a ‘Happy Earth Day Festival’ to be held at Douglas Park in August 2008.
Evan Hatfield: Room/Green Lobby: Reducing Waste In Theatre Common Areas
43rd Ward, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lincoln Park
Evan and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company Green Committee will work towards a variety of different goals, including reducing staff plastic water bottle-usage, promoting use of mass transit, and persuading neighborhood, employee-frequented restaurants to adopt reusable to-go containers. The team will more specifically work on instituting a recycling program for the theater’s lobby and green room areas, and reducing the amount of waste generated by the audience, production crews and customer service staff.
Jennifer Wang: Buena Park Neighbors Green Team: Energy and Air Quality Workshop
46th Ward, Buena Park
Jennifer’s team will establish a neighborhood green resource and activity program in which neighbors help neighbors to implement C3 projects and beyond. This will be through a partneship with Buena Park Neighbors, an existing neighborhood association. The kickoff event will be an Air and Energy workshop, where CFLs will be distributed, participants will be given information on how to properly dispose of CFLs, and participants will make green cleaning solutions for their homes.
Pam McCarroll: Conservation Education in the Chatham and South Shore Community
6th Ward
The purpose of Pam’s project is to educate the community, tenants and land owners of Chatham and the South Shore Community on how small changes will change their carbon footprints, conserve energy and save money.
Morgan Jencius: Think Green When you Dry Clean
48th Ward, Uptown
The goals of Morgan’s project are to promote awareness of solid waste generation at dry cleaners; reduce plastic bag use at dry cleaners; increase recycling of plastic bags; and increase reuse or reduction of garment bags at dry cleaner.
Kara Borden: Adopt a Beach with Alliance for the Great Lakes at Fullerton Beach
43rd Ward, Lincoln Park
Following the guidelines of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Kara will organize a group of employees from the Notebaert Nature Museum to collect trash and measure water quality at the beaches south of Fullerton Ave. Kara and her team also hope to increase awareness of issues affecting Chicago’s public beaches along Lake Michigan - and ways that citizens can help - by exploring collaborations and educational displays within the museum.
Hanh Pham: Pretty Dirty - Giving Trash a Second Chance
Andersonville
Hanh’s project is a public waste audit of the trash cans along a busy business corridor in the Andersonville neighborhood. As the various pieces of trash are counted from trash can to trash can, eye-catching items will be selected and made into a dress. The dress, waste audit report, photographs, and short film will be showcased at a local art gallery so that community members can see the waste they generate through the lens of art and beauty. Giveaways at the art opening will be based on the most landfilled items (i.e. reusable coffee mugs, reusable bags).
Donna McGrath: Take-Out Food Packaging Reduction in the 49th Ward
49th Ward, Rogers Park
Donna’s team will reduce take-out food packaging waste by presenting reusable containers as substitutes when placing orders at restaurants. Measurable results will be obtained by making visits to restaurants; weighing and classifying their recyclable and non-recyclable packaging; offering reusable containers to package food rather than what is provided by the restaurant; and surveying patrons and employees.
Kathleen Kilbane: Increase environmental awareness in the Hispanic Rogers Park Community
49th Ward, Rogers Park
Kathleen hopes to increase environmental awareness in her Spanish-speaking Rogers Park community by providing outreach materials to her neighbors in Spanish. Along with her project team, Kathleen will translate and then distribute various brochures, flyers and brief informational postcards to community members. Kathleen is looking for volunteers to help her both translate materials and/or speak with community members on the first day of project outreach. Email us if you are interested in helping Kathleen and her project team.
David Becker
1st Ward
Wicker Park
The goal of David’s project is to increase awareness and proper disposal of mercury in compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs. Recipients will receive a flyer to educate them on the levels of mercury in CFLs and also list proper disposal sites in closest proximity to Wicker Park. David’s project team will provide free CFLs to community members at the six corners in Wicker Park.
Susan Casey: Idling Reduction Campaign at Peterson Elementary School
39th Ward
Hollywood North Park Neighborhood
Susan is collaborating with a 7th grade science class at Peterson Elementary School to measure the vehicle idling that occurs at afternoon dismissal. Data includes idling time and vehicle type, which will be used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions, gallons of fuel used, and money wasted during the idling. Targeting driving parents and bus drivers, they will develop a plan for idling reduction. Data collection will likely end by February; and the implementation and awareness campaign will take place in Spring 2008.
Elaine Lemieux: Idling Reduction Campaign at Sauganash Elementary School
39th Ward
Sauganash
Much like Susan Casey, Elaine is working with Sauganash Elementary School students to measure vehicular idling taking place around the school. Elaine and her student club will post ‘Anti-Idling’ signs around the campus as well as educate students, teachers, parents, and bus drivers about the ill effects of idling. This is only one of Elaine’s Pure Air/Anti-Idling campaigns. Email us to learn more about idling or to find out how to begin your own anti-idling campaign in your community.
Mike Jones: Green Condo Project
49th Ward
Rogers Park, 1050 W Columbia Condominium Association
Mike’s project team will create a “Green Box” for residents of the 1050 W Columbia Condominium Association. The Green Box will contain educational pamphlets, home audits and environmentally friendly materials to help residents understanding how they can make an improvement to their ecological footprint in their homes.
Jean Hougard: Whole Foods Green Mission Team
49th Ward
Rogers Park
Jean’s C3 project is heading up the Green Mission Team at her Whole Foods Store. The first meeting of the Green Mission Team is this month, January 2008. Team members are from every department of the store in addition to those that are really excited to be a part of the group. The team will brainstorm ideas about how they can improve the conservation in the store, including recycling, donation of produce and prepared foods to food banks, and educating co-workers on the importance of recycling, water conservation, composting, and pitching in to make the store greener.