Informational Tabling – Symposium 2025

The mission of the Johns Hopkins University NIEHS P30 Core Center, Community Health Addressing Regional Maryland Environmental Determinants of Disease (CHARMED) is to build capacity in community-engaged research aimed at understanding the mechanistic links between environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes and translate these findings into action to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals in communities across the greater Maryland region. We are building partnerships with communities of the greater Maryland region (extending north from Washington, DC through Baltimore, MD and including central Pennsylvania) to address their environmental concerns. 

Compostology is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that launches compost & food recovery programs in schools while introducing food systems legislation. Co-founded by a current JHU freshman, Compostology composted 234,000 lbs of food waste and recovered 315,000 unopened food items annually from schools between 2021 and 2024, secured a $1.25M Maryland state bill to expand such school food waste action programs in the state, and successfully advocated for a government mandate for food recovery and food service employees in all Montgomery County, MD public schools. With efforts funded by the World Wildlife Fund and as an awardee of the 2023 EPA President’s Environmental Youth Award, Compostology was represented at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 and has since expanded collaborations with chapters in 10+ U.S. states and 4 countries, supporting sustainable food systems via direct service, education, and community farm interventions. Compostology is now onboarding Baltimore public schools to boost food security, environmental/civic education, and peer-to-peer mentorship for Baltimore students while reducing the Baltimore school system’s environmental footprint. Compostology seeks the support of Baltimore community members in instituting composting and food recovery as both an environmental and transformative educational boost for Baltimoreans.

With roots in Baltimore and relations around the world, the Ecological Design Collective is building a place for researchers, designers, activists, artists, writers and others to conceive and develop alternative ecological futures. 

GreenHacks, a student-led innovation club at Johns Hopkins University, will table at the Sustainability Symposium to showcase its role in fostering sustainability-driven technological solutions. GreenHacks provides a platform for students to collaborate on innovative projects addressing environmental challenges through hackathons, design sprints, and interdisciplinary research. At the symposium, GreenHacks will engage attendees by presenting student-led sustainability initiatives and opportunities for involvement. The table will feature past projects tackling renewable energy, waste reduction, climate resilience, and sustainable design, highlighting the intersection of technology and environmental impact. Through interactive discussions, GreenHacks aims to connect with researchers, faculty, and industry leaders to expand collaboration on sustainability innovation. By participating in the symposium, GreenHacks will amplify its mission of integrating sustainability into technological advancement, inspiring the JHU community to develop practical solutions for a more sustainable future.

Stop by and visit representatives from Hopkins Dining and JHU partner The Common Market!

Sustainable dining at Johns Hopkins University means that we think beyond the plate, taking a holistic, responsible approach to the way we feed our students, staff, faculty, visitors and the wider community. We know the decisions we make as a community about the types of food we eat and how it’s grown, served and disposed of can have a tremendous impact on the environment.

The Common Market is a nonprofit food distributor founded on very basic principles: Access to good, affordable food is a fundamental human right and that the people who grow our food deserve to be paid and treated fairly—and that these two ideas need not be mutually exclusive. The Common Market model supports robust regional food systems. We collaborate with both farmers and customers from procurement through delivery. Alongside our partners, we increase access to healthy food, improve health in vulnerable communities, support family farms, and expand ecological agriculture.

Our organization is firmly committed to integrating sustainable principles into every aspect of our work, recognizing that human well-being is inextricably linked to the health of our ecosystems. By drawing upon cutting-edge research from the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, we employ innovative methodologies that reduce our reliance on animal-based models and minimize environmental impact.

The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) works with students, educators, researchers, policymakers, advocacy organizations and communities to build a healthier, more equitable and resilient food system. CLF operates out of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, from the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. The Center is celebrating more than 25 years of advocating for food system change and protecting the public’s health.

The Center for Social Concern will be highlighting the book Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore, by Nicole Fabricant. Come learn more about the Baltimore incinerators impact on the Curtis Bay community and how it shaped a youth led movement.

In April 2024, JHU launched the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health to accelerate cross-university collaboration in addressing the degradation of Earth’s natural systems and its impacts on human health and well-being. Over the last year, the Institute has moved swiftly to engage a dedicated team of cross-university faculty in the development and implementation of programming that is now infusing Planetary Health into university-wide education, clinical care and health systems, policy, and practice. These programs, alongside events, convenings, student groups, partnerships, and funding opportunities are working in concert to build a Planetary Health community at JHU, united in urgency and a shared commitment to protect the web of life on Earth.

The Life Design Lab supports and serves all Krieger and Whiting undergraduates and masters students, regardless of post-graduate plans. Through the LDL students have access to a variety of resources such as life design programs and courses, experiential learning opportunities, career search and development programs and guidance, as well as networking opportunities and connections with alumni and employers.

From strategic planning to campus operations, technical guidance, behavior change education, and more, the Office of Climate & Sustainability’s work spans the physical, academic, and cultural environments of JHU. Our office aims to empower students, faculty, and staff to meaningfully contribute to a more just and sustainable world.

The Planetary Health Alliance, affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health, is a consortium of 450+ universities, non-governmental organizations, research institutes, and government entities from 75+ countries around the world committed to understanding and addressing global environmental change and its human health impacts. JHU has been the home of PHA since 2023. PHA staff (primarily based at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center) are available to engage in conversation with attendees and provide informational materials about global initiatives and opportunities.