The world we live in is a very fragile place, one in which removing even one organism from it can change the face of the planet for generations. It is easy then to understand the importance of caring for the environment. As a means to spread the word regarding the importance of this occurrence MATC hosted the Sustainability Summit, a series of workshops and conferences over the course of two days, May 3-4, discussing the many ways people can aid in saving the environment. Attendance for this year’s event was free.

There were featured speakers and breakout sessions covering energy, lifestyle, green agriculture, careers, social responsibility, along with green business and manufacturing.  The event included a job fair on May 3.

Dr. Mark Felsheim, MATC Oak Creek Campus vice president, said, “This is the 14th annual Sustainability Summit. It initially started as a way for the technical colleges to showcase some of the programs that they were doing regarding energy conservation and alternative forms of energy.”

Felsheim added, “The summit has grown over the years, and it now includes more community and business partners … each year we do different themes. This year’s theme is ‘A Sustainable Future and Making it Work,’ so what we’re looking at are successful practices that are actually in use, saving energy, and are showing ways to improve the environment.”

Felsheim further stated, “This year I believe focusing back on our students and ensuring they’re aware of what they can do to help the community was one of our major benefits. We want to get people together, have them talking to each other, and seeing what’s working in the world.”

Many of the outside organizations at the summit acted as sponsors, including Johnson Controls, AO Smith and MATC. Representatives for the event also included officials from universities across Wisconsin.