Music and Much More at GCC's Tenth Annual Cool Kids ECOfest

BATAVIA, NY (03/04/2015)(readMedia)-- Genesee Community College marks the tenth anniversary this year of the Cool Kids ECOfest with new and exciting opportunities to celebrate Earth Day at GCC. Join the fun at ECOfest on Saturday, April 11, 2015 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. This year's event includes abundant recycling opportunities and a student photography exhibit, Sustainable Still Lifes. In addition, for the first time, an educational event will precede ECOfest on Thursday, April 9, 2015. RIT Associate Environmental Science Professor Karl Korfmacher will come to campus to discuss Bringing Sustainability into Curriculum.

Co-sponsored by GCC's Student Activities Office, College Village and Brockport-based Generation Cool, Cool Kids ECOfest is a fun-filled, educational event that aims to increase awareness of important environmental issues while celebrating Earth Day. The event is free and open to the public.

A favorite recycling initiative returns to ECOfest this year as electronic waste will be accepted once again after a one year hiatus. Rubber sneakers will also be collected as well as paperback books, bikes and bike parts, worn American flags, cell phones, ink cartridges, and eyeglasses. New this year, will be textile recycling. Any clean clothing or cloth will be accepted for recycling (please no dirty or moldy items). Each recycled item earns a Cool Kids ECO-Raffle ticket increasing the chances to win great, green prizes including the grand prize of a mountain bike.

As in year's past, more than 40 exhibitors will have booths including exotic wildlife, environmental educators, and make-it take-it activities. At 10 a.m., Buffalo-based musician Susan Rozler will kick things off with her Mama Earth's Kitchen Band. Susie brings instruments from all over the world as well as homemade recycled ones and gives the audience a chance to play and sing in the band. Her motto is "The earth is our kitchen! We should keep it clean so all of its creatures can stay healthy, now and in the future."

From noon- 2 p.m. in the Stuart Steiner Theatre Lobby Art Gallery, GCC photography students will enjoy sharing their Sustainable Still Life Photography Exhibit. Students in Joe Ziolkowski's COM 118 (Introduction to Digital Photography) and COM 103 (Introduction to Black & White Photography) classes are crafting still life photos focusing on the idea of taking care of the earth and the environment. "I cannot tell you how excited my students were after I presented the topic for the assignment and show," Ziolkowski said. "We're going to see some very interesting, thought-provoking work." The photos will be on exhibit from April 1, 2015 through April 29, 2015.

New this year as part of ECOfest will be an educational presentation by Karl Korfmacher, associate professor of Environmental Science at Rochester Institute of Technology. Korfmacher will speak about Bringing Sustainability into Curriculum on Thursday, April 9, 2015 from 12:30 - 2 p.m. in Room T102 of the Conable Technology Building on GCC's Batavia campus. Korfmacher is director of the Laboratory for Environmental Computing and Decision Making, and an active participant in the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's (AASHE) Sustainability Across Curriculum Leadership Workshop. Presented by GCC's Sustainability Committee, the talk is free and open to the public. GCC faculty are encouraged to attend.

"We can celebrate Earth Day everyday as individuals, but on April 11th let's come together and become Green Gangsters!" said Cool Kids' Steve Appleton. "For ten years, we've been making a huge difference in educating young and old about the importance each individual makes for a clean environment! Let's keep it going."

For further information on all of these events or photos of prior Cool Kids ECOfest contact Donna Rae Sutherland at 585-343-0055 x6616 or email dsutherland@genesee.edu.Or check the Cool Kids! website at http://www.generationcool.biz or on Facebook: Cool Kids!

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