The Our Future club at Oak Park High School was founded to address the growing need for youth-led environmental activism in the Oak Park community. It began years ago as a small group of students passionate about conservation and making tangible impacts on sustainable environmental practices through beach cleanups, gardening and creating monarch butterfly sanctuaries.
“The main goal of Our Future Club is to foster environmental stewardship among students,” vice president Daniel Kim said. “We aim to inspire actionable change in our community through initiatives like cleanups, educational programs, and conservation projects.”
Though Our Future Club is committed to educating high school students on current environmental issues, they also value hands-on projects aimed at helping reduce pollution and waste.
“I think what sets our club apart is how hands-on we are,” president Winston Zhu said. “We’re not just talking about the environment; we’re out there making changes, especially through our beach cleanups.”
One of the notable things about Our Future Club is they meet monthly with the Environmental Education Awareness Committee to help guide their own policies and get ideas for club events.
“Being part of the EEAC board has helped me see the bigger picture of environmental advocacy and how we can influence long-term policies,” Kim said.
Our Future Club offers students the chance to take action on environmental issues in the community and beyond. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends, work on projects that matter and be a part of a community that is committed to making the world a greener, healthier place. Whether you’re passionate about addressing climate change, living sustainably or conserving the environment, Our Future Club is a place where students can make their voices heard and spark real change.
The club is open to all interested students. For more information about how to join and club meeting times and locations, you can email president Winston Zhu at [email protected] or vice president Daniel Kim at [email protected].
