NICCS On Tuesdays, Spring 2025

Join us for NICCS on Tuesdays each week at the 71 North Partnership Studio in the basement of the Founders Library. NICCS on Tuesdays is a weekly residency at 71 North that is intended to provide a collaborative environment to discuss and workshop topics connected with the Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability (NICCS).

MORNING ACTIVITIES

8:30 – 9:05 AM: Power Up: Granola, yogurt, fruit, coffee, other light breakfast items available.

9 :05 - 10:00 AM: Quiet writing session at 71 North Studio

10:05 - 11:00 AM: Quiet Writing in the Studio, or group discussions outside

11:15 - 11:45 AM: NICCS Updates (available through Teams)

AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES

1:30 - 2:00 PM: NICCS Updates, repeated (ICYMI)

2:00 - 2:45 PM: NICCS Discussions/Workshops, Session 1; light food provided

2:45 - 3:15 PM: Grants/projects/symposia roundtable and transition

3:15 - 4:00 PM: NICCS Discussions/Workshops, Session 2 (also through Teams)

4 :00 - 4 30 PM: NICCS wrap-up

4:30 - 5:15 PM: 5K jog to the NICCS building and back

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS:

8:30-9:05 AM: NICCS Morning Power-Up. Join the NICCS community for granola, yogurt, fruit, coffee, and other light breakfast items to start your day.

9:05-11 AM: NICCS Writing Sessions. Are you always hoping to get that paper or proposal written, but never find the time to make progress? Could you use the collective encouragement of your colleagues writing productively in the same room? Get ready to write each Tuesday morning when the 71 North Studio and NICCS host two one-hour quiet focused writing sessions, from 9:05 to 10 AM and from 10:05 to 11 AM at 71 North. We especially invite people who are collaborating on projects to write together: either continue for the second quiet writing session in the Studio, or re-connect and share progress in the Discussion Zone. Yogurt, granola, fruit, and coffee will be available starting at 8:30 AM.

11:15-11:45 AM: Post-writing decompression and NICCS Updates. After 15 minutes of re-acclimation following two hours of quiet writing, join the NICCS Director for updates related to the NICCS program, the NICCS building, and other NICCS-related events. (Note that this will be repeated at 1:30 for those unable to attend this morning meeting.)

11:45 AM-1:30 PM: Mid-day break. Stay at 71 North for lunch with VP Mocarski, or join NICCS colleagues for lunch on or off campus.

1:30-2 PM: NICCS Updates, repeated. The NICCS Director will repeat the updates on the program, NICCS building, and related activities that were described in the morning session.

2-2:45 PM: Discussion/Workshop Session 1. Join colleagues from NIU and the greater community to discuss topics related to water resources, environmental adaptation, and food systems innovations. Topics may include sustainability and the Arts; data visualization from different perspectives; connecting with stakeholders; key issues in specialty agricultural production; energy conservation at NIU; sensors applications in northern Illinois; and local industrial hemp collaborative opportunities. Light food will be available. A tentative schedule of weekly discussion topics will be provided for each month in advance.  Topics will include:

• 1/21/25: 2025 NICCS proposed programmatic activities and goals
• 1/28/25: Environmental Adaptation from multiple perspectives
• 2/4/2025: Food Systems Innovation and NIU

2:45-3:15 PM: Activities Roundtable. As we transition from one Discussion/Workshop session to the next, we will discuss relevant projects, proposal ideas, symposia, and conferences that could be relevant to other NICCS members. Since this is a transition time between two workshop sessions, feel free to depart and arrive as your schedule allows.

3:15-4 PM: Discussion/Workshop Session 2. Join colleagues from NIU and the greater community for a second discussion and workshop session on topics related to (but not duplicative of) the earlier session. Topics will include:

• 1/21/25: NICCS Stakeholders and important meetings in 2025
• 1/28/25: What will be in and around the NICCS Building?
• 2/4/2025: Collaborative opportunities with local producers

4-4:30 PM: NICCS Wrap-up.

4:30-5:15 PM: NICCS 5K Jog. Do you have a New Year’s resolution to reduce your risk of heart disease? Is being on a university campus taking a toll on your physical wellbeing? It’s a little less than 5 kilometers from the Founders Library to the site of the NICCS building and back, so join the NICCS director each week for a cross-campus NICCS building jog.