Northeastern Illinois University will host the 29th Annual Friends of the Chicago River Student Congress on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The event will take place at the university’s Main Campus in Chicago and is expected to bring together hundreds of middle and high school students from across the city and suburbs. The Student Congress is free for teachers and students within the Chicago-Calumet River watershed but is not open to the general public.
Educators attending can earn three Continuing Professional Development Units through Northeastern’s Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education. Registration is available online, with walk-in registration also offered on site.
Friends of the Chicago River, which won the 2025 Thiess International River Prize for its work restoring the Chicago–Calumet River system, organizes this annual event. Since its founding in 1979, Friends has focused on protecting and revitalizing the river system, engaging more than 46,000 members, volunteers, and activists each year.
At this year’s Student Congress, students will present their research on water quality, wildlife, and other topics related to the river through presentations and displays based on formal curricula and field trips. Parents and teachers are also expected to attend.
Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River said: “The Student Congress offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for young leaders from across the region to come together to examine environmental challenges and learn from one another. Holding the Congress on a college campus expands that experience, giving students direct access to environmental professionals while also connecting them with Northeastern Illinois University students who can help them envision similar career paths and strengthen their understanding of environmental studies.”
The conference provides a professional setting where students teach each other about science and climate resiliency using data from their studies of the river system. They also have access to environmental professionals including Northeastern professors and students who share their experiences with participants. More than a dozen organizations such as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Forest Preserves of Cook County, and Illinois Environmental Council will participate in this year’s event.
Tim Libretti, Ph.D., Dean of Northeastern’s College of Arts and Sciences stated: “Northeastern Illinois University is thrilled to make our resources available to our community and host the Friends of the Chicago River Student Congress for the third year in a row. We are proud to welcome hundreds of students and their families as well as community members and organizations to our Main Campus, where they will receive mentorship and guidance from our students and faculty, enjoy our labs, and engage in hands-on activities and workshops. We want the communities we serve to see Northeastern as a supportive resource and as a forum for community engagement, so hosting this event is absolutely gratifying for us.”
Ford sponsors this year’s Student Congress.
During the event Friends of the Chicago River will present its 2025 Educator of the Year award to John Engelbreit. Engelbreit chairs Back of the Yards College Prep High School’s department at Chicago Public Schools where he teaches biology, environmental science, and anatomy. He holds degrees from Oregon State University (environmental science) and University of Illinois Chicago (science education).
Engelbreit said: “I’m incredibly honored to receive this recognition from Friends of the Chicago River. Their work makes environmental education accessible, relevant, and meaningful for my students and students across the city. I am proud to be part of a community that believes in empowering young people to care for our river.”
Since launching in 1996 by Friends of the Chicago River,the Chicago River School Network (CRSN) has involved over half a million local teachers and students in lessons held at regional river sites. In just one recent school year CRSN reached more than 25,000 mostly public-school students—67% coming from within Chicago Public Schools—through hands-on experimentation led by staff or trained educators using curricula aligned with state standards.
