Conservation Teen Advisory Council
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Conservation Teen Advisory Council (conTAC) welcomes you to apply. ConTAC provides a unique opportunity for high school student-leaders from diverse backgrounds across Ohio to work together and contribute ideas to enhance ODNRs youth outreach and program efforts. ODNR is looking for highly motivated students entering grades 9th-12th of the 2022-2023 school year who are interested in natural resource conservation, outdoor outreach, wildlife, or simply making a positive impact within the Buckeye State. ConTAC is a great place for students to meet new peers from across the state with similar interests, develop leadership skills, and participate in outdoor adventures from the shores of Lake Erie to the rolling hills of Appalachia.
conTAC MISSION
To serve as the voice of Ohio's youth to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and expand the reach, impact, and quality of the Department's youth initiatives.
conTAC VALUES
- Conservation
- Collaboration
- Innovation
- Health & Wellbeing
- Diversity
- Empowerment
conTAC: WHAT WE DO
- Enact conservation-focused initiatives in our communities
- Explore careers in the natural resources sector
- Develop valuable networking and leadership skills
- Empower youth to be wise stewards of Ohio's natural resources
- Make recommendations to enhance outdoor outreach
- Make a difference!
WHAT YOUR INVOLVEMENT MEANS
- Serve a minimum of a one-year term
- Meet monthly with like-minded teens and natural resource mentors (meetings are in-person March – November, and virtually December – February)
- Develop and implement a conservation project (ex. Litter cleanup, habitat enhancement, school presentation, stream quality monitoring)
HOW TO APPLY
- The deadline to apply is Monday, June 20, 2022
- Click the green “LAUNCH conTAC Membership Application” button to access the online application
conTAC SELECTION
- Membership should reflect the diverse interests of ODNR and the state of Ohio
conTAC Class of 2021
* member has already served one full year.
| Name (First and Last) | County | School | Grade (2021-2022 school year) |
| Aida Yoder | Franklin | Upper Arlington High School | 12 |
| Ainsley Jajack* | Franklin | Dublin Coffman High School | 10 |
| Alayna Starr | Jefferson | Indian Creek High School | 9 |
| Alexander Torres | Franklin | Hilliard Davidson High School | 12 |
| Ally Lewis | Greene | Bellbrook High School | 12 |
| Alyssah Fisher* | Wayne | Northwestern High School | 10 |
| Anna Beck | Cuyahoga | Laurel School | 12 |
| Anna Schlangen Mendez | Hamilton | Sycamore High School | 10 |
| Audrey Stankunas* | Licking | Granville High School | 10 |
| Avery Benjamin* | Franklin | Dublin Coffman High School | 11 |
| Calista France | Hamilton | Sycamore High School | 10 |
| Cannon Moser | Union | Marysville Early College High School | 11 |
| Cierra Creighton | Brown | Eastern Brown High School | 11 |
| Cole McKinney* | Warren | Homeschool | 11 |
| Dana Stan | Franklin | New Albany High School | 9 |
| Darelle Thornton | Summit | Firestone CLC | 10 |
| Emma Hartman | Athens | Athens High School | 11 |
| Gavin Steele | Montgomery | Chaminade Julienne | 11 |
| Grace Kruse | Franklin | Bloom Carroll High School | 11 |
| Halle Tebbe | Franklin | Dublin Coffman High School | 12 |
| Harrison Panstingel | Greene | Bellbrook High School | 10 |
| Iris Mark | Franklin | Upper Arlington High School | 11 |
| Ja'Brina Hargrave | Montgomery | Chaminade Julienne | 12 |
| Jess Kowalski* | Cuyahoga | Saint Joseph Academy | 12 |
| Josie Jennings | Clark | Global Impact STEM Academy | 9 |
| Jude Mirghani | Delaware | Olentangy Orange High School | 12 |
| Julia Matthewson* | Warren | Goshen High School | 12 |
| Katalaya Brandenburg* | Miami | Upper Valley Career Center | 12 |
| Katelyn Williamson | Franklin | Whetstone High School / Fort Hayes Career Center | 12 |
| Kaylie Simpson* | Ottawa | Port Clinton High School | 10 |
| Landon Shelpman | Clark | Global Impact STEM Academy | 11 |
| Libby Bulanda* | Cuyahoga | Laurel School | 11 |
| Lillian Mayville | Knox | Mount Vernon High School | 9 |
| Lily McGraw | Franklin | New Albany High School | 10 |
| Madeline Christie | Geauga | Chardon High School | 12 |
| Maggie Clark* | Geauga | Chardon high school | 12 |
| Manasi Kanna* | Warren | William Mason High School | 11 |
| Maria Zacher* | Warren | William Mason High School | 11 |
| Mary Lins* | Miami | Lehman Catholic High School | 12 |
| Maxine Baker | Cuyahoga | Berea-Midpark High School | 12 |
| Mela Lin | Butler | Ursuline Academy | 10 |
| Morgan Albanese | Sandusky | Gibsonburg High School | 12 |
| Olivia Garee | Licking | Northridge High School | 12 |
| Olivia Lewis | Geauga | NDCL | 9 |
| Olivia Went | Union | Dublin Jerome High School | 11 |
| Peyton Readler | Franklin | Columbus School for Girls | 11 |
| Preston Meyer | Warren | William Mason High School | 12 |
| Prisha Patel* | Union | Dublin Jerome High School | 11 |
| Qarinn Hopings | Lucas | Aviation and Natural Science Academy of Toledo (ANSAT) | 9 |
| Reed Singer* | Defiance | Fairview High School | 12 |
| Snehal Choudhury | Stark | Jackson High School | 12 |
| Sophia D'Amore | Wood | Eastwood High School | 10 |
| Stela Nonno | Summit | Archbishop Hoban High School | 10 |
| Tayanna Bagrowski* | Fulton | Archbold High School | 10 |
| Tessa Wood | Portage | Bio-Med Science Academy | 11 |
| Tyler George | Hocking | Logan High School | 10 |
| Varun Ramanujam | Union | Dublin Jerome High School | 9 |
| Will Breit | Hamilton | Madeira High School | 12 |
| Zak Beaver* | Franklin | Homeschool | 11 |
| Zoe McCarthy | Lucas | Ottawa Hills High School | 10 |