Go Green Community Day: A Workshop for Sustainable Food and Fashion Practices

Our first summer workshop geared towards prospective high school students for leadership building and increasing agricultural literacy with a holistic market approach and discuss sustainability in food and fiber. High school juniors/seniors who are interested in careers in food and fiber attended. 

Four sessions were offered during the workshop: Erin Donovan, owner of a sustainable animal fiber farm and CEO of Conovar Solutions, led a leadership building workshop that encouraged students to work in groups to provide a strategy to solve a problem in the agricultural industry in terms of sustainability. The team at UNT Dining Services led a tour explaining their approach to reducing food waste in the kitchen, plant- based approach, allergen free dining hall and their hydroponic garden. Shelley Christner, Founder of DIME Store & Creativity Instigator, led a workshop on natural dyeing process with a hands-on project on natural sock dye. Savannah Kurka, Artist & Workshop Coordinator DIME Store highlighted how local communities can contribute to a more sustainable future using the local Denton DIME store retail space as a launchpad. Tobi Smith, Hospitality Entrepreneur, shared how he learned to lead with purpose and passion when chasing your dreams and caring for your team. Lastly, undergraduate research fellows shared their research findings on zero waste textile project.