The inaugural Cincinnati Climate Week is in full swing! Now through Sunday, explore climate-themed events throughout the region. On Thursday, make sure to stop by Jeni’s at Factory 52 in Norwood for the first-ever Green Umbrella ice cream social!

The cornerstone events of Cincinnati Climate Week are the 13th annual Midwest Sustainability Summit on Friday at the Sharonville Convention Center and the Green & Healthy Schools Symposium on Saturday at Rockdale Academy. Registration is still open for both events.

In an effort to make the Green & Healthy Schools Symposium as accessible as possible, we have a limited amount of Pay-What-You-Can tickets available at the link below.

Groundwork Ohio River Valley’s Climate Week Pollinator Walk in Lower Price Hill on Wednesday morning

Every year, Green Umbrella recognizes outstanding climate leaders, innovators, and changemakers at the Midwest Sustainability Summit through its annual Sustainability Awards. This year, four individuals, one organization, and one municipality will be honored for their leadership, innovation, impact, and lifetime achievements advancing sustainability across the region and beyond. The winners are:

Learn more about the award winners here.

Join us at the Midwest Sustainability Summit on Friday to celebrate the winners! Register for the Summit here.

The Roselawn Save A Lot is the only grocery store for not only Roselawn, but also the neighborhoods of Golf Manor, Bond Hill, and Amberley Village. If it closes, 20,000 more people in Cincinnati will live in a food desert. We can keep this store open – but only if we work together.

Green Umbrella’s Food Policy Council is working with neighborhood leadership, community groups, and the City of Cincinnati to keep grocery access in Roselawn open (read Food Policy Council Manager Rosa Baker’s opinion piece on the Save A Lot published in The Cincinnati Enquirer here).

Do you live or spend time in Roselawn, Golf Manor, Bond Hill, and/or Amberley Village? Your voice is important! Share your opinion about the Save A Lot here, or call Green Umbrella at (513) 541-1538 and leave a message. Your stories will be shared with City leadership and published on our website for public viewing here.

Last Mile Food Rescue and La Soupe both exist to rescue wasted food and make sure it gets to people who need it most. While Last Mile has focused on the logistics of rescuing, La Soupe has focused on transforming rescued food into healthy and delicious meals. This summer, they are piloting a partnership program that allows both organizations to use their strengths to achieve the biggest impact.

“We believe this collaboration is bigger than either of our organizations,” La Soupe Executive Director Emmy Schroder said in a piece on the La Soupe website. “Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have the potential to become a national model for coordinated food rescue, a region where nonprofits multiply their impact by building on each other’s strengths.”

Adventure Crew saluted Board Member Emeritus and Paddlefest Founder Brewster Rhoads for his years of service to its mission with a roast at MadTree Brewing on May 7. Brewster was Adventure Crew’s founding Board Chair in 2015 and ushered in the nonprofit’s adoption of Ohio River Paddlefest in 2016.

“The Rhoast” was timed to coincide with Paddlefest’s 25th anniversary this summer on Saturday, August 1. This year, Paddlefest is attempting to set a Guinness World Record for “Largest Paddle Craft Party” with more than 1,105 human-powered watercraft on the river simultaneously for at least 15 minutes.

The Rhoast launched the Rivers & Rhoads Fund to carry forward Brewster’s impact at Adventure Crew. To date, the fund has raised more than $100,000 to fuel pathways to the outdoors for city teens, helping inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts and environmental changemakers. Learn more about the fund or send Brewster a message here.

Solarize Nonprofits is a new program that will help nonprofits in Southwest Ohio install solar panels to support energy affordability and the city's climate goals. Solarize Nonprofits is organized by the City of Cincinnati along with partners RE-volv, Solar United Neighbors, and Faith Communities Go Green. Becoming a member is free. Members will learn how to go solar together through a cohort model. The co-op program will also provide financing, vetted installers, and help filing for tax credits.

The program will expand to include a resurrected residential co-op this fall for people looking to install solar on their homes.

The new Cincinnati Public Radio (CPR) building in the neighborhood of Evanston is a finalist for the Urban Land Institute’s Americas Awards for Excellence. This prestigious award recognizes projects that make a significant impact in their communities through design, innovation, and purpose. CPR headquarters is Cincinnati’s first building with a structure made completely of mass timber, a sustainable construction option. Read more about the story of the building’s construction in our Cincinnati 2030 District case study here.

The building not only houses radio stations (it is the home of WVXU, WGUC, and WMUB) but also serves as a welcoming community space where conversations, performances, storytelling, and connections can happen every day. As part of the awards process, a panel of judges will visit Cincinnati Public Radio on June 19.

June 8-14

Presented by Green Umbrella in partnership with the Climate Week Network, this decentralized week invites organizations throughout the region to host in-person and virtual events that spotlight local solutions, share expertise, and inspire a more resilient future. Check out these featured CCW events!

Click here to see all the great events for Cincy Climate Week!

Have an event to share? Green Umbrella members can submit events here. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member, click here.

We’re looking for at least two reliable and dedicated volunteers to help organize and lead a Climate Café Education Event on Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 1:00-4:00 pm at the Cincinnati ToolBank.

Volunteers will support with:

If you’re interested, contact Bamidele Osamika at bamidele@greenumbrella.org.

The Public Engagement Administrator is ORSANCO’s senior-level lead for public involvement, outreach, and regional collaboration initiatives throughout the Ohio River Basin. This position operates at the intersection of science communication, public engagement, and regional coordination, translating ORSANCO program data into accessible, consistent, and meaningful information for public audiences across the Basin. Click here to learn more!

Have an event, volunteer opportunity, or job posting to share? Green Umbrella members can submit them via the online Membership Portal. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member, click here.