My Gen was launched by Ken Cluskey in 2009 when he volunteered to be the Green Team Committee Chair for the Old Town Art Fair in Chicago. During that warm summer in June weekend, the Art Fair went "green." The Old Town Art Fair was very excited about going "green" and implemented strategies to increase recycling and decrease both bottled water and paper consumption.

The Old Town Art Fair "Green Team" was the most surprising success of the art fair's efforts. Ken recruited 20 students from Lincoln Park High School to volunteer to help with the Art Fair’s recycling efforts. It was impressive to witness the students’ youthfulness, energy and enthusiasm for both learning about recycling and participating in the fair.

The Old Town Art Fair “Green Team” certainly demonstrated that weekend that they were willing to take action in the present to benefit generations in the future.

That first Lincoln Park High School Green Team was the inspiration for creating the Green Festival Challenge Program. Ken saw the potential to expand the program, educate more students and have a positive impact on the environment. With the help of many people, including founding Board of director members Mike Staffeldt and Beth Botts.

My Gen Inc. was formed on May 21, 2010. The new My Gen team then designed the Green festival Challenge program to energize, educate and empower more high school Green Teams to compete with one another and apply what they learn in the classroom to the greening of neighborhood festivals.

My Gen Incorporated is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Any donations you make to our cause are tax-deductible.