Thank you to RMF Engineering for sponsoring a great reception during the AASHE Conference. Over 90 people attended, it was great seeing everyone there!

UMACS 2026 Community of Practice-Sign up now!

Are you a staff or faculty member working to advance sustainability on your campus? Join the facilitated 2026 Community of Practice where we will focus on the evolving role of Sustainability Officers including questions like: Where are you having the biggest impact? Where are you struggling? Why do we do this work? How do we communicate value? How can we engage more campus members? Discussion topics will be co-created with participants. 

Meetings are January-December 2026 on the 2nd Fridays of the month except February (we will meet 2/20) from 1:30-3:00 CST.

Cost:

Supporting Member: Free

Limited Member: $150 (Scholarships Available)

"Ask a Colleague"

November 18, 3-4 pm CST

Our hosts Troy Goodnough (UMN Morris), Lily Strehlow (UW Eau Claire) and Rob Hanson (Carleton College) will answer any question you have about energy transitions-all questions welcome!



Next "Adventures in Energy Session": December 16, 3-4 CST

November 19: Campus Farm Programs and Student Learning

Kristina Hope (Knox College), Jonna Korpi (UMN Duluth) and Megan Roesler (Carleton College) will lead this conversation about how they use their campus farm programs to enhance student learning experiences and curriculum integration.

December 17: Integrating Applied Learning Projects

Missed theTips for Supervising and Advising Students Coffee Chat? Here are Notes-please add your tips!

Propose topics for future Coffee Chats here.

Congratulations to the new 2025-2026 Sustainability Fellows!

Congrats to the following 16 students representing 14 campuses and 7 states for their selection to this year's Fellowship program. They will participate in monthly leadership training, individualized coaching and each develop a project that will benefit multiple UMACS campuses.

24-25 Fellows Reunited at the 2025 Conference!

Resources from the 2025 UMACS Conference

• Resources to help with Campus Outreach: Students brainstormed ways to improve campus outreach efforts and are also sharing outreach materials in this Folder  that campuses can adapt for use on their own campuses-please share your outreach materials so we can all spent more time on impact and less on communications!
• Rethinking Climate Communication: Thanks to Lillian K. Salter from the Midwest Climate Collaborative for her blog on how the conference sessions changed her perspective on climate advocacy and communication.
• Want photos from the Conference? Visit the Conference webpage, thanks to Luther College for some great pics!

2025-26 UMACS MEMBERSHIP-SIGN UP TODAY!

If your campus does not sign up for 2025-26 membership by November 17 anyone from your campus that is on the Member listserv will be removed.

• Limited Membership: Free! (takes 3 minutes to sign up)
• Supporting Membership: $600
• Campus Conference Sponsorship and Membership: $1200
• System Discount: 10% off for five or more campuses

Climate Wayfinding Facilitator Training- Apply by December 11

The All You Can Save Project is offering a highly subsidized retreat on August 2-7 to train you to facilitate their Climate Wayfinding program that helps people figure out what they can do to contribute to addressing climate change.

Midwest Climate Summit-Two Free Registrations Available!

UMACS is a member of the Midwest Climate Collaborative and we receive two free Summit registrations as part of membership. If you or someone from your campus would be interested in attending the Summit for free, please let Megan know by December 1. Priority will be given to someone from a Supporting Member campus or a member of the Board of Directors.

Order Native Seeds from Central Community College!

Order seeds ($1 packet plus $2 shipping, see list here) from Brayden Adrian and William Gordon. They make great stocking stuffers!  The native seeds were collected from the CCC pollinator gardens and are $1 per packet to benefit the Students 4 Sustainability club.

Showcase Your Innovation at COMPOST2026

The US Composting Council invites young professionals and innovators to apply by Nov 30 for the Emerging Composter Challenge at COMPOST2026 in Sacramento, California. Present your project to industry leaders, investors, and academics while competing for cash prizes!

Reflexivity Workbook: A Tool for Inclusive Science Communication

CienciaPR has created a new science communication resource. If you are interested in science communication, public engagement, and civic science and are enthusiastic about making your work more inclusive, this workbook is for you. 

2025-26 Conferences

• November 12-14, 2025: Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition's 2025 Equity Summit in Milwaukee, WI.
• March 8-10, 2026: 2026 Second Nature Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in Chicago, IL. 30% off for non-members!
• January 29-30, 2026: OneSTL Climate Action Summit East-West Gateway COG, in St. Louis, MO
• March 30-April 1, 2026: Midwest Climate Collaborative Summit-Proposals Due November 10
• June 12, 2026: Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit -Proposals Due Nov 12
• September 25 and 26, 2026: UMACS Conference!

The Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS) is a network of staff, faculty and students from colleges and universities working together to promote sustainability throughout the Upper Midwest. We welcome everyone in higher education who wants to create a culture of sustainability on campus and in their community, working to meet the needs of all people without harming future generations' ability to meet their own needs.  Reach out to Megan Voorhees, Executive Director to share ideas about how we can best support your work.