The Marion Institute’s 10th annual Connecting for Change Conference set a challenge for attendees to tackle challenging environmental and social issues.

This year, one Old Rochester High School senior set a challenge for herself to expose fellow students to the event that features nationally known activists, authors and performers.

Held in downtown New Bedford on Oct. 24 and 25, the conference attracted people from across New England to consider problems in the areas of social justice, diversity, the environment and health.

“The conference is literally right down the street. The bus ride couldn’t have been longer than fifteen minutes,” said ORR student Catherine Cunningham. “It’s kind of ridiculous we haven’t done this before.”

Cunningham, who is president of the school’s Environmental Club, became interested in the conference this summer through her employer, Mattapoisett grocery store and cafe How on Earth.

Opened by Marion Institute founders Michael and Margie Baldwin, How on Earth stocks organic and local produce to foster  farming.

After learning about the institute and its role in Connecting for Change, Cunningham met with Conference Manager Brooke Baptiste to see how she could help.

“I wanted to become as involved as I could,” she said. “I knew it would be a great thing for ORR students to attend.”

Cunningham was tasked with organizing a field trip to the conference. Working with some guidance from High School Vice Principal Mike Parker, she signed up enough students to fill one school bus.

At the conference, the students – all first time attendees – had a few hours to take in as much as possible. Friday events included workshops on climate change and keynote speakers that addressed diverse topics such as youth violence and organic farming.

Students and teachers left impressed, Cunningham said. She hopes the school will make the field trip an annual event.

“On that bus ride back all of us were thinking about what we had learned and saw,” she said. “The climate change program showed that the problem is bigger than you can believe, and it can’t be solved by just carpooling and using less energy. The conference appealed to so many different interests.”

Conference spokesman Glenn Oliveira said organizers choose speakers from across 12 genres of social and environmental issues.

“It is a broad scope,” he said. “When we do select speakers we keep in mind people are here to learn and want to return to their communities with new information and tools.”

He noted the 10th anniversary featured the conference’s largest turnout as it has grown steadily through the years.

“We’re thrilled that it’s our tenth year and we appreciate all of the support we’ve received from the community,” Oliveira said. “We hope to continue our work and want to see people making positive changes in their own communities.”

For more information on the Marion Institute, visit www.marioninstitute.org.