As the weather begins to shift and students gather in green spaces on campus, conversations around sustainability become more prominent than ever.
Earth Week 2026, hosted by sustainability organization Drake Environmental Action League, is set to take place April 13-18 at Drake University. Throughout Earth Week, DEAL will address various environmental issues with educational programs, such as a panel highlighting the importance of prairie burns. This year’s theme is fire.
“Each day features a new activity, and it is free from cost for all Drake students,” Brynn Dillow, DEAL’s assistant Earth Jam coordinator, said in an email interview.
The week’s activities include making pop tab keychains, building fairy fires, a movie night and tree planting.
Earth Jam is the concluding event for Earth Week. It is a small music festival that celebrates the end of the week, while still promoting environmental advocacy. The event, set to take place April 18 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., will feature live music and a raffle for donations from local businesses such as sustainable stores, thrift shops and restaurants.
“It’s a concert on campus, and I love seeing people learn that they’re passionate about something that they might not have previously thought about,” said Allie Raines, DEAL president.
Earth Jam will feature partnerships with other Drake organizations. Some include Blue Crew, a recreational dance club, and social fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
“We are partnering with the Asian Student Union because this year is the year of the fire horse, which means action,” Raines said.
The biggest challenge members face when planning the event is the budget.
“We have to apply for one-time funding, and working with that, it can be difficult because you don’t exactly know how much money you have,” Raines said. “You don’t necessarily have a choice to not spend it, because things cost a certain amount, you have to do it.”
There is so much time and effort that goes into the planning required for this event, and that passion is felt when attending it, Levine said.
“Everyone is so deeply invested in [Earth Jam’s] success and wanting it to be the best it can be, because it’s been so great in so many past years,” Levine said.
The lineup of performers and the local businesses that will be at the event have not yet been announced.
“I am hopeful that Earth Week will promote sustainability and environmental awareness on campus,” Dillow said. “I am very excited for the event, and I believe that any student with an interest in the environment or [who] just wants to have a good time should attend.”
The eco-conscious student organization also encourages student engagement with the Des Moines community to develop environmental initiatives, such as sending letters to state officials discussing sustainability issues.
In addition to advocacy efforts, DEAL often hosts programming to help students learn about environmental issues in interactive ways.
Edie Musgrave, a first-year member of DEAL, said that the organization is able to raise awareness about serious topics using activities that are engaging and fun. These include events such as tree walks, aimed at fostering connection between people and their local ecosystem, while addressing issues such as climate change and urban deforestation.
“The environment affects everyone,” Musgrave said. “It affects all of your friends, all of your family, you. Which doesn’t mean that you have to be the most active member, but your small actions do something.”
Allie Raines is a Times-Delphic staff writer.
