Orange County NC Website
10 <br /> Impact through Interns <br /> The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill EcoStudio interns <br /> provide important support for our sustainability efforts,and our team is <br /> Community Outreach passionate about mentoring them by offering real-world opportunities <br /> to develop creative solutions,engage with the community,and make <br /> Education a n d lasting impacts in the fight against climate change.Providing these <br /> hands-on experiences inspires and prepares the next generation of <br /> leaders to pursue careers in climate action. <br /> Investment -_ <br /> Our Sustainability team was spreading the word and inspiring action <br /> at public events like Earth Evening,the Orange County Agriculture , ►' <br /> Summit,and UNC Climate Action Day.We even talked to all the 8th r ; <br /> graders at Orange Middle School,sharing our climate action plan and _ <br /> inspiring them to make positive changes in their own lives.For many of <br /> these events,incredible volunteers dedicated their time and energy to <br /> encourage sustainable choices in the County. oaaN�c UNrr, <br /> People Power Emma Hedinger(intern)tabling at UN(Gimate Action Day <br /> In 2024,we had the privilege of hosting the following exceptional <br /> EcoStudio interns: <br /> 896 177 <br /> 77 Emma Hedinger(Spring 2024): <br /> Emma made a big impact by leading communi- <br /> Engagement with Volunteer hours ty outreach for the Climate Action Plan and cre- <br /> community members ating a staff resource for purchasing sustainable <br /> 1 swag,helping to align the County's efforts with <br /> Volunteers our sustainability goals. <br /> Volunteers are helping sustainability topics reach more people.Without <br /> their help,events like Repair Cafe would not have been possible(See <br /> page 6 for more information).One group of volunteers are the EV am- Valeria Rico(Summer 2024): <br /> bassadors.They are passionate community members who attend events Valeria took on the challenge of spearheading <br /> with their electric vehicles to engage the public,answer questions,and s r an anti-idling campaign,which included draft- <br /> showcase all the different features of their EVs. �1 ing a policy and collaborating with the County's <br /> graphic designer to create impactful visuals for <br /> ` the campaign. <br /> 1 <br /> _ Madison Buschek Fall 2024): <br /> x Madison played a central role in organizing two <br /> —` National Drive Electric Week events,supported <br /> the Leave Your Leaves campaign,and designed <br /> graphics for our annual sustainability events, <br /> helping to bring these initiatives to life. <br /> ,y <br /> EV ambassador sharing about electric vehicles at Earth Evening <br /> 9 <br />