Student Sustainability Contest

At Aurora GreenFest 2026, we believe the brightest solutions for a resilient future come from the students living in it today. Our Student Sustainability Contest is a call to action for middle schoolers, high school, and college students to design the future of a Green Aurora. Our goal is to promote sustainability, innovation and education among local students, challenging students at three levels to develop solutions for energy efficiency, but not limited to, within Aurora, Illinois. The student contest will be showcased to the public with student(s) explaining and presenting next to their project to judges and the public. Groups of up to 4 students are encouraged to emphasize collaboration. The student contest will have up to three judges, and the awards will be presented as a scholarship.

Participation Levels:

Compete individually or gather a team of up to 4 students. Minimum 50% Aurora student enrollment required per group. Open to public-, private-, and home-schooled students.

• Level 1: Middle School
• Level 2: High School
• Level 3: College/University

Submission Requirements

• Email GarciaJazmine@Aurora.IL.US by April 27th with your Team members and project idea.
• Educational Poster/Display: Trifold will be provided for your Team at no cost. You are expected to visually represent the problem and the solution.
• Presentation: Explain the concept clearly to the judges and public at GreenFest during contest hours. Contest hours are from 11AM-1PM.
• Collaboration: Demonstrate intradisciplinary collaboration between teammates, stakeholder engagement and organizations.

Support

• Join students and staff during "Friday Office-Hours" to work on your project and seek guidance.
  • Every Friday 3PM-5PM at City Hall
• Schedule 1-1 meetings in-person or via zoom with staff.

Are you a teacher?

Serve as a Teacher Liaison at your school and support students for the Student Sustainability Contest. 

Potential Topics of Interest & Challenges:

• Focus on tangible, local solutions such as reducing energy consumption in homes, schools, or city facilities; promoting energy-efficient transportation (EV/Hybrids); or integrating solar/renewable energy.
• Identify a common energy-wasting problem in a typical Aurora home or school and propose a simple, low-cost behavioral or technological fix.
• Develop a detailed plan for an energy efficiency improvement project for a specific community building (e.g., a local library, park district facility, or a local business).
• Create a comprehensive, feasible proposal for implementing a new energy-efficient technology or policy at a city-wide scale in Aurora.
• Policy promoting solar installation, a plan for expanding EV charging infrastructure, or a new municipal energy conservation program.
• Sustainability fashion show that designs outfits from recycled or ethically sourced materials, highlighting the environmental cost of fast fashion.
• Green architecture design showcasing a scale model or digital blueprints for eco-friendly buildings using renewable energy, natural lighting, sustainable materials, and within Aurora boundary. Focus can be in Downtown Aurora, Fox River riverfront, replacing casino.
• Native plant research, wildlife trends, habitat design/evaluation, and conservation.
• Develop plans that focus on local food production and composting

We aren't just teaching sustainability; we are inviting students to build it! Whether it's reimagining the energy efficiency of historic structures like our 1930s Post Office or designing a pollinator-friendly program, our students are the true architects of Aurora's resilience.