Naperville youth create change with local upcycling education
Trash has become routine. Gatorade bottles, old T-shirts, and metal cans all get discarded without a second thought.
With local upcycling education lacking, local youth have decided to take action.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, Accelerate Climate Solutions, a youth-focused nonprofit, is hosting called “Remake the Future: A Repair and Upcycling Extravaganza.” This event is a collaboration with First Congregational Church and Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST).
The open-house style event offers both repair stations and workshops to teach upcycling and sustainable living.
The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 25 E Benton Ave. in Naperville. Community members are invited to bring the following types of items to be repaired for free: clothing, small electronics, jewelry, small furniture, and bicycles.
Experts also will provide coaching on do-it-yourself repairs, if parts are not available to complete a repair. Workshops on sustainable living will include sustainable food choices, make your own upcycled rug, “Sewing 101,” eco-bricking, make a journal from recycled paper, and “Recycling & Composting 101.”
Rena, an intern helping plan this project, emphasized how excited she is for the “delicious samples that’ll be at the sustainable eating workshop.”
Upcycling stations will be available for children and adults to create their own crafts made from everyday items and trash.
Visitors also can enjoy a baked goods and crafts sale. Finally, Accelerate Climate Solutions anticipates free knife sharpening to be a popular station, and has set a limit of two items to sharpen per visitor.
Accelerate Climate Solutions encourages community members of all ages to attend. More details and registration can be found at accelerateclimatesolutions.org/rtf. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-registration for workshops is suggested.
This extravaganza is a product of its BLAST summer internship program, which brought together 75 high school and college-aged students with diverse skills and interests to develop their own climate change solutions.
An intern team of a dozen students planned this event to raise awareness, build community, and educate others about upcycling.
“Remake the Future” is funded, in part, by a grant from a Naperville Special Events and Community Arts (SECA) grant. This is a free event open to the public, with donations to help defray costs appreciated. The interns invite the community to join them in this interactive experience and get one step closer to a more sustainable future.
For information, visit accelerateclimatesolutions.org. Follow facebook.com/accelerateclimatesolutions/, instagram.com/accelerateclimatesolutions/, as well as Bluesky or TikTok.