Program Schedule

Schedule at a Glance

• 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM  Opening Coffee & Gathering

• 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM  Coffee & Registration 
• 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM  Festival Welcome & Opening Message [Auditorium]
• 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM  Opening SIU World Game History w/ Medard Gabel
• 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM  Opening Plenary w/ Thomas Zung
• 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM  Book Signing w/ Thomas Zung [International Lounge]
• 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM  Sustainability History & Futures [International Lounge]
• 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM  Bamboo Dome Build Workshop [Morris Lawn]
• 1:30 PM – 2:50 PM  Inspiration Points – Buckminster Fuller’s Legacy
• 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM  Green Fund Awards [Auditorium]
• 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM  Procession gathering (All Species Puppet Parade)
• 6:00 PM –  9:00 PM  Earth Day Celebration & Cookout

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Morning | 10:30 AM | Opening Plenary Panel

Venue: Auditorium

Opening plenary panel with invited speakers exploring Buckminster Fuller's legacy, Earth Day history, sustainability, and relevance of design science today. Intro to the World Game and World Resource Simulation.

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Late Morning to Afternoon | Student Sustainability and Design Science Programming

SIU Green Fund awards with student project showcases and discussions. Concurrent panels and conversations connecting sustainability, education, and design science.

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Afternoon | 12:00 PM | Bamboo Dome Build

Venue: Morris Lawn

Participatory bamboo dome build led by Kurt Przybilla, serving as a visible Earth Day installation and hands-on learning experience.

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Evening | 6:00 PM | Earth Day Celebration & Cookout

Venue: Bucky’s Haven and Becker Pavillion

Outdoor Earth Day gathering featuring the lighting of Bucky's Haven, music, and community celebration. Details to be announced.

Schedule at a Glance

• 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM Coffee
• 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM  Future Systems - Panel (Share Your Solutions!)
• 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM  World Game
• 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM  Lunch
• 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM  World Game
• 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM  “Design Science as Systems Change: Artivism and the Return of the Design Science Decade” by Design Science Studio
• 5:45 PM – 6:15  Tensegrity Model Dedication (Thomas Zung)
• 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM  Fuller Futures Art & Artifacts Reception

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Daytime | 9:30 AM | World Game

Venue: SIU Recreation Center

Opening declaration and orientation followed by World Game Sessions I and II, facilitated by Ben Lowder. Boxed lunch provided for participants. Participation is limited to ensure depth of engagement. Advance registration is required. After registering, please email fullerfutures@siu.edu to secure your spot.

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Concurrent Programming

Panels and discussions on the World Game's history and current relevance, including global systems, shared resources, and geopolitical context. Dome Home tours & opportunities to observe portions of the World Game.‍

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Evening | 5:30 PM | Fuller Futures Art & Artifacts Reception

Venue: Sharp Museum, Faner Hall

Exhibition of Buckminster Fuller artifacts alongside contemporary artworks inspired by Fuller. Reception and remarks, with the possibility of local music offerings following.

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Schedule at a Glance

• 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM Coffee
• 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM New World Game w/ Medard Gabel
• 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM SIM
• 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch
• 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM SIM
• 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM Panels
• 5:30 PM - 6:15 PM Reception
• 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM Opening Play Performance

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Daytime | 9:30AM | World Resources Simulation Center

Venue: Communications Building, Studio B 

Interactive simulation experience exploring global challenges and local impacts, supported by concurrent panels with faculty from Geography, Agriculture, Biological Sciences, and Sustainability. Led by Peter Meisen and colleagues, the simulation emphasizes collaboration, practical systems literacy, and shared responsibility.

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Late Afternoon to Evening | Illinois State Science Fair Visit

Venue: SIU Student Center

Interactive design science displays and engagement with Illinois State Science Fair students. Activities led by Kurt Przybilla with support from SIU student volunteers.

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Evening | 6:30 PM | Opening Play Performance

Venue: Varsity Theater

Opening performance of Buckminster Fuller, The History and Mystery of the Universe, a play about Buckminster Fuller by Doug Jacobs. Ticketed event separate from conference registration. The venue for the play is the historic Varsity Theater in Carbondale, IL. [Tickets will be available at The Varsity Theater.]

Schedule at a Glance

• 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Coffee Truck
• 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Dome Tours – Fuller Dome Home & Visitor Center
• 1:00 PM Art Walk
• 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Conversation w/ the Playwright D.W. Jacobs and Steve Falcone
• 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Evening Play Performance: The History and Mystery of the Universe [Tickets will be available at The Varsity Theater.]

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Morning to Afternoon | 11AM | Community Day at the Dome

Progressive tours of the Fuller Dome Home and Visitor Center, family friendly design science activities, and informal community engagement.

Schedule at a Glance

• 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Coffee / Morning Reception
• 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM Design Science Studio Showcase
• 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM Matinee Performance: The History and Mystery of the Universe
• 6:00 PM Closing Ceremony