12 students from the New Branches Charter Academy Green Team recently had the opportunity to represent their school at the 2026 Michigan Sustainability Summit held at the Kellogg Conference Center at Michigan State University. The Michigan Sustainability Summit showcases youth sustainability projects from over 300 students and 30 different schools. The Summit gives students an opportunity to present the work they’ve done and discuss their projects with other students and professionals. This year, NBCA was generously awarded a transportation grant by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Finance Division.
Schools were required to present a poster of their student’s environmental efforts. Our NBCA students chose to present a Watershed Health poster created by members in the Environmental Specials class as part of the Groundswell Stewardship Initiative grant project where students visited Buck Creek and Plaster Creek to compare water quality data.
During the Summit, students attend multiple breakout sessions including:
Green Energy and Trades of Tomorrow: Student groups collaborated to make wind turbine prototypes and test their designs.
Food Waste: The Worlds Dumbest Problem (and how to fix it): Groups learned the status of food scrap collection in Michigan, which is then turned into garden compost, and the environmental importance of promoting these programs in school.
Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Stewardship: Members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan spoke on important ways the tribe cares for the environment through their traditions and cultural practices.
Eco Career Exhibit: Students visited various tables to network with environmental professionals and learn about jobs related to air, water, land, energy, conservation, agriculture, and ecosystem services.
In the afternoon, the students participated in learning opportunities including, “BioBlitz: Contribute to Community Science,” led by the Detroit Zoo. Students did a hands-on biodiversity survey where they used the Seek app to ID and document plants, insects, and birds to support community science efforts. “Pollinators, Plants, & People: Green Practices in one of America’s Oldest Gardens,” at Michigan State University’s W.J. Botanical Garden. Students learned how historic gardens can support sustainability, biodiversity, and pollinator health through environmentally responsible gardening practices.
At New Branches Charter Academy, our mission is to provide a positive learning environment along with a rigorous academic and cultural program where our children learn to become healthy, responsible citizens, life-long learners, and world leaders. “Experiences like this help students see that their ideas and actions can make a real difference,” said NBCA Principal, Tanner Maten. “They are not just learning about environmental stewardship, they are practicing it.” Opportunities to attend events like Michigan Sustainability Summit is one of many unique experiences New Branches Charter Academy is able to provide for students.