March 20, 2025
Close your eyes for a second and think back to when you were 5 years old in kindergarten. Your teacher calls on each student in the class and asks what they want to be when they grow up. Can you remember what you said? Was it a typical response like doctor, teacher, or astronaut? I’m willing to bet that your answer wasn’t “work in packaging” or “make boxes.”
But what if we could change that narrative? What if we can bring awareness of the corrugated packaging industry to younger and younger students so they know about the many benefits and opportunities that exist from choosing a career in corrugated packaging even before they graduate? What if we can motivate students to pursue industry positions and choose educational paths that will prepare them for a stable job in our industry? These questions—and how to answer them—are a driving force behind some of the work taking place at the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF) right now.
In 2024, ICPF signed a multiyear partnership with Project Learning Tree® (PLT), a program of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), to increase youth awareness of corrugated industry careers. This collaboration aims to elevate the profile of the corrugated packaging industry earlier as students participate in career exploration, planning, and development at schools across the United States.
PLT inspires the next generation of leaders through environmental education, forest literacy, and career pathways by using trees and forests as windows to the world. Working with partner organizations across North America and internationally, they cultivate connections to nature, starting with the littlest of learners through young professionals.
As one of the most widely used and
longest-running programs in its field, PLT has over 40 years of experience providing high-quality education resources and training for formal and nonformal educators, career counselors, families, natural resource professionals, and community leaders to nurture current and future generations. Each year, PLT reaches approximately 900 young professionals, trains over 15,000 educators, and impacts over 2.5 million students.
By co-developing educational resources and professional development opportunities for educators and guidance counselors working with middle school and high school youth, the partnership aims to close knowledge gaps and remove barriers to entry in our sector. The program will complement and enhance ICPF’s successful educational resources, career pathways, and outreach programs for primary through tertiary education levels.
An environmental education activity collection, set to be released in May 2025, will feature four to six engaging PLT activities that highlight the corrugated packaging industry for educators and career guidance professionals to supplement existing curriculum. Through these hands-on learning materials, students in grades three through 12 will better understand how corrugated packaging impacts the everyday consumer, supports a circular economy, and practices sustainability for the well-being of our planet. This guide will also include a “career corner” elevating 10 corrugated packaging industry careers.
SFI will then expand on and make use of the ICPF-sponsored resources to develop and implement a guidance counselor and educator engagement program, greatly accelerating the reach and training for the professionals most able to inspire young people to enter our industry.
ICPF is excited to see this partnership come together over the next year and will keep you apprised every step of the way.
Caitlin Salaverria is president of ICPF.
