Sustainability Expo 2026: Positive Change, Partnerships & Prizes
Annual event returns April 2 with campus and community partners, interactive exhibits
Morgan Field doesn’t usually draw a crowd at lunchtime. But on Thursday, April 2, it will be hard to miss: tents, tables, live music, upcycled goods and more than three dozen campus and community partners gathered under one (outdoor) roof for Dickinson’s Sustainability Expo 2026.
“The Sustainability Expo serves as a bridge between the work of Dickinson and the Carlisle community,” says Cara Kamoie ’26, the Center for Sustainability Education’s projects & partnerships coordinator, noting that more than 40 partners, ranging from campus clubs, Dickinson organizations, student vendors and Carlisle community partners will be involved. “Community is a crucial pillar of sustainability; collective involvement and action allow us to build trust, share our knowledge with one another and create meaningful relationships.”
Running from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.—with a rain location at ATS—the annual event is organized by the Center for Sustainability Education and designed to be as much festival as forum. This year’s theme, “Building Resilient Communities,” frames sustainability not as an environmental abstraction but as something woven into daily life: what we eat, wear and buy and how we connect with one another.
More Than a Tabling Event
The expo’s partner list reflects how broadly Dickinson defines sustainability. Alongside expected participants like the Dickinson College Farm, Eco-Reps and the Climate Resilience Working Group, you’ll find the LGBTQ+ Center, the Popel Shaw Center for Race & Ethnicity, Hillel and the Vietnamese Student Association—a reminder that resilient communities are built on equity and inclusion as much as carbon reduction. Local businesses, artisans and nonprofits fill out the roster, connecting campus to Carlisle in concrete ways.
Exhibits are tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, giving the afternoon an intellectual backbone without sacrificing the fun. Expect games, arts and crafts, skill exploration, sustainable shopping, and a water taste-test.
What’s at Stake and What’s Up for Grabs
Dickinson has maintained carbon neutrality since 2020, and the expo is a chance to show what that commitment looks like in practice—not as a number on a dashboard, but as a living network of people, programs and partnerships.
And prizes this year lean into that local-first ethos. Think farmers market vouchers, Cumberland County honey, Carlisle restaurant gift cards and a coffee-and-cats basket that only makes sense if you know this town.
The event is free and open to all. Whether you show up for the sustainable shopping or the free stuff, or as a reason to be outside on a spring day, the expo has a way of making the big questions—climate, community, resilience—feel a little more manageable.
“We hope that the Sustainability Expo serves as an opportunity for reflection, inspiration and celebration for our partners and community,” Kamoie says. “The expo is an excellent chance for our partners to celebrate their work toward a more sustainable future and gain inspiration for building positive collective change.”
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published March 26, 2026