The Earth Day Summit will be hosted by the Franklin University Switzerland Green Office Sustainability Programs as a weekend conference showcasing multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability. By bringing together a wide diversity of academic and community thought leaders, the Summit will address the interconnectedness that explains why Sustainability is a Shared Goal.

The Earth Day Summit aims to include faculty and students from all academic disciplines, as well as community advocates for sustainability from Ticino and beyond. The weekend will emphasize the unique connections we all have to each other and to our planet. Summit participants can also expect sustainable meals and interactive, engaging activities.

Please register by April 20, 2023.
Registration is limited for some events.
Activities and panels are free.
All meals are 10 CHF.

Thank you to the generous support of our restaurant and coffee company sponsors La Serra, Pesperuncino and Masaba Coffee.

All payments for meals can be made at the event.

Friday, April 21: Open to the FUS Community
Saturday, April 22: Open to the Public

All events take place at Franklin University Switzerland, Kaletsch Campus

Click here for the FULL PROGRAM

Schedule

Panel Descriptions 

The FUS Sustainability Pipeline.
Saturday April 22 at 10:00 - 11:00. 
A selection of Franklin undergraduate, graduate and alumni speakers will convene to discuss the role of higher education in producing sustainability professionals and leaders in a variety of disciplines. Each “generation” will highlight the sustainability related issues that they think are the most pressing in today’s world. 

Moderator:  Ebonie Rayford 
Participants:  Paige Arellan, Casey Campagne, Ariane Stalé, Kate Taylor

Sustainable Tourism & Travel.
Saturday April 22 at 11:00 - 12:00. 
Traveling is a source of joy, discovery and connection. It can also be a source of adverse social, economic and environmental impacts on host communities. How can travelers travel more sustainably? What can the travel industry do to address its impact on sustainability? Join a panel of industry professionals and academics who will discuss the ways in which travel and tourism impacts sustainability and what can be done to mitigate those impacts.

Moderator: Silvia Piccinelli
Participants: Robert Cudney, Alan Quaglieri, Engelbert Ruoss, Alexandra Tosun

The Future is Now – Transdisciplinary Approaches. 
Saturday April 22 at 14:00 - 15:30.
Bringing together a diversity of perspectives, this panel will address the interconnectedness that explains why Sustainability is a Shared Goal and why cooperation is essential for addressing the climate crisis.

Moderator: Martin Bullock
Participants: Ludovica Donati, Marc Gervait, Lori Montross, Will Sawyer, Caroline Wiedmer

Sustainability through Storytelling.
Saturday April 22 at 17:00 - 18:00.
The ways in which we communicate about sustainability affects our understanding of the challenges and urgency to sustainability. Join filmmakers, journalists and professionals who use their storytelling skills to shape the conversation around sustainability.

Moderator: Fintan Hoey
Participants:  Elettra Fiumi, Nicoletta Maestrini, Antonio Nucci, Marcello Pelizzari, Lara Pilcante 

Sustainable Consumerism - An Oxymoron?
Saturday April 22 at 18:00 - 19:00. 
Can consumerism and sustainability co-exist? How can consumers make more sustainable choices? Our panel of experts discuss ways in which sustainability and consumerism can be more closely aligned.

Moderator: Leonardo Conte
Participants:  Claudio Boër, Coty Jeronimus, Renata Moshkovich, Marta Pellegrino

Activity Descriptions

The New Commons Game.
Friday April 21 at 13:00 - 17:00.  
This simulation planning game uses the example of deep-sea fishing to address the tension between short-term profit maximization and long-term conservation of a resource. Hosted by Markus Ulrich, UCS Ulrich Creative Simulations (Simulation Games for Sustainable Development and Climate Change).

Sustainable Choices Obstacle Course. 
Friday April 21 at 18:00 - 19:00.  
Join us to see how your choices affect how you navigate the obstacle course. This fun and interactive event is hosted with the support of FUS Athletics.

Community building event: Trivia Night.
Friday at 20:00 - 21:00. 
Test your Sustainability Knowledge, as you have fun and get to know how much you really know about sustainability.

Canvas Bag Printmaking.
Saturday April 22 at 13:00 - 14:00.  
Unleash your inner artist at this printmaking workshop. We will talk about the ways in which small steps, incorporated into daily life, make a big difference. Expect to take home a reusable canvas shopping bag and a sustainability mindset. Hosted by Calysta Warner.

Citizen Science.
Saturday April 22 at 16:00 - 17:00. 
Dating the trees around the Franklin Forest: What Our Trees Can Tell Us About Recent Climate Change.  Dive deep into the fields of endrochronology and dendroclimatology, and learn about tree rings and why they are so important for studying recent climate change. Be a citizen scientist and use an Increment Borer to sample trees in the FUS forest, as well as count tree rings from forest tree samples. Discover applied environmental techniques while helping to date local trees and see how this data helps us better understand climate change. Through dendrology (the study of trees), we will examine the trees right here on campus and see what they reveal about local climate change. Hosted by Professor Silvia Piccinelli.

Community building event: Apero & Documentary. Revolution, a film by Rob Stewart. 
Saturday April 22 at 20:00 - 22:30. 
Join us as we watch a screening of Revolution, a film by Rob Stewart. "Revolution captures some of the most remarkable wildlife spectacles ever recorded, and gives audiences a firsthand look into the biggest battle ever fought. Discovering that it’s not just sharks that are in jeopardy – but us – Stewart looks to the evolution of life and past revolutions in order to uncover the secrets necessary to save our world. Joining the activists and youth fighting to save their future, Stewart’s journey of hope is startling, beautiful and provocative, revealing this crisis as an opportunity for everyone to become a hero".

Meal Descriptions

Friday Dinner.
Friday April 21 at 19:00 - 20:00.  
Taco and Burrito Bar - Why a Plant Based diet is the Sustainable Choice. With Nadia and Sophie Hanessian, Founders, Vege’tables. Registration is limited. Cost: 10 CHF. Please pay onsite.

Saturday Breakfast.
Saturday April 22 at 09:00 - 10:00. 
Make your own Açaí Bowl - Earth & Human Health. We will be making our own Açaí bowls and talking about Earth and Human Health. This interactive event will be a chance to focus on the Sustainable Development Goals that address both social and environmental well-being. With Nadia and Sophie Hanessian, Founders, Vege’tables. Registration is limited. Cost: 10 CHF. Please pay onsite.

Saturday Lunch.
Saturday April 22 at 12:00 - 13:00.  
Poke Bowls - Reducing waste. As we dine, we will address the ways in which we can reduce waste in our food production and consumption habits and patterns.  Food waste is a waste of resources, time and money. What are the ways we can change our food systems and our personal choices? Reducing food waste at all levels can have a significant environmental, social and economic benefit. With Nadia and Sophie Hanessian, Founders, Vege’tables. Registration is limited. Cost: 10 CHF. Please pay onsite.  Thank you to our sponsor PESPERUNCINO for supporting this event.

Saturday Dinner and Closing Remarks.
Saturday April 22 at 19:00 - 20:00. 
Eating Local & KM0, with La Serra founder Mara Bertelli Sanz. Food is one of the leading drivers of climate change. Eating more local food reduces CO2 emissions by reducing food miles — the distance food travels from farm to consumer. In addition, eating local has many other benefits. Hear more about eating local from the founder of La Serra Restaurant. Registration is limited. Cost: 10 CHF. Please pay onsite. Thank you to our sponsor for supporting this event.

Participant Profiles

Paige Arellan, FUS Graduate Student, MSIM in Responsible Management and Climate Action

Mara Bertelli Sanz, Founder, La Serra Restaurant

Claudio Boër, Former Vice-President of the Board at SUPSI and Former Director of the SUPSI CIM Institute for Sustainability in Innovation

Martin Bullock, Adjunct Professor, FUS, and Researcher at the Pädagogischer Hochschule Thurgau as part of the research group in Didactics for Natural Sciences of the University of Konstanz

Casey Campagne, FUS Social Justice and Sustainability major focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility

Leonardo Conte, Adjunct Professor, FUS. Research includes the threshold between Economic Sociology and Consumer Behavior, focusing on Behavioral Economics and consumer-oriented nudging

Robert Cudney, Former Director for the Veracruz Reef System National Park and Cozumel Reefs National Park

Ludovica Donati, Chief Executive Officer, Fondazione Blue Arbor

Elettra Fiumi, Adjunct Professor, FUS. Research focus on journalism and documentary filmmaking

Marc Gervait, Chief Design Officer, Aldesso

Nadia and Sophie Hanessian, Founders, Vege’tables. Vege'tables is a consulting and training company helping people make food choices that are great for their health and for the planet.

Fintan Hoey, Associate Professor of History, FUS

Coty Jeronimus, Senior Sustainability Strategist, Fashion & Sporting goods, Quantis

Nicoletta Maestrini, Political Campaign Assistant Coordinator, WWF Switzerland

Lori Montross, The Noral McNeely Hurley and Michael Hurley Associate Professor of Psychology, FUS

Renata Moshkovich, Founder, Code Verde. A start-up focused on educating consumers with SDG ratings.

Antonio Nucci, USI PhD candidate. researching climate change communication, activism and media representation of environmental issues.

Marta Pellegrino, Senior Sustainability Specialist, VF Corporation

Lara Pilcante, Editor, RSI Online

Silvia Piccinelli, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, FUS. Research studies focus on climate change impacts on vegetation.

Alan Quaglieri, SUPSI, Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care (DEASS), PhD Tourism & Leisure

Ebonie Rayford, Assistant Dean of Student Life and Career Strategy, Franklin University Switzerland

Engelbert Ruoss, USI MSc Instructor in International Tourism and World Heritage and research associate at the UNESCO Chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites

Will Sawyer, Scientist, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre

Ariane Stalé, Chief Operations Officer Aldesso & FUS Alumnus

Kate Taylor, FUS Environmental Science major and Political Science minor

Alexandra Tosun, Co-founder, Indy Guides Tour Company

Markus Ulrich, UCS Ulrich Creative Simulations (Simulation Games for Sustainable Development and Climate Change)

Calysta Warner, FUS studio art minor and art studio assistant

Caroline Wiedmer, Professor and Chair of the Academic Division of Arts and Cultures, Franklin University Switzerland

Jean Wu, Director
Ghala Ashoor, GO Scholar - Campus Operations
Tristan Cousin, GO Scholar – Marketing and Communications
Jordan King, GO Scholar - Event Coordination - Earth Day Summit Coordinator
Grace Meller, GO Scholar - Education & Research - Earth Day Summit Lead Coordinator
Aly Mitu, GO Scholar - External Affairs & Projects - Earth Day Summit Coordinator
Skylar Tempel, GO Scholar - Event Coordination

Find us here:

https://www.fus.edu/about-franklin/our-campus/virtual-tour

https://www.fus.edu/about-franklin/our-campus/campus-maps