YouthCaN 2000 – List of Workshops
Podporené Nadáciou otvorenej spoločnosti k aktívnej účasti slovenských študentov a učiteľov na konferencii.
Session I
Harlem Meer Inhabitants
Harbor Academy for Environmental Studies & the Arts, New York, NY, USA
Through water-monitoring research we help the Central Park scientists maintain a healthy fresh water habitat at the north end of Central Park.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Primary
Making Our World A Better Place
Limestone EdNet, Limestone County, TX, USA
Students will share a PowerPoint presentation and skit on community and global issues. Topics may include: Readers are Leaders-working to encourage reading with at-risk students, On the Road Again-promoting a small town community, Sea Turtle- promoting awareness, Sidewalk Kids-beautifying our school campus, Senior Adults- working with the elderly. Exact presentations and presenters will be determined at YouthCaN TX in April 2000. This workshop will be presented by PictureTel / Vtel video conference from Texas.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle
The 411 About Lead
Far Rockaway Enviornmental Youth Group, Far Rockaway, NY, USA
Members of the Far Rockaway Enviornmental Youth 4H group will share a short video they made about lead- how it can effect your health and what you can do.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle
Endangered Cranes of the World
Miami Country Day School, Miami, FL, USA
Students will present info about cranes, various types, charactertistics and habitats world wide, act out crane behavoirs and present hands on activities on projects to take.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Primary
From Chaos to Community: Teaching Nonviolent Methods for Conflict Resolution
Casey Middle School and Bueno Vista High School, Boulder, CO, USA
25 minute multi-media production celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. and his message regarding the use of nonviolent methods for resolving conflict and working towards justice. 10 minute slide show presentation of our work with youth groups. 10 minute audience dialog.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Where Does YOUR Water Come From?
Saugerties High School Environmental Outing Club, Saugerties, NY, USA
A debate on the New York City water supply: pitting the needs of nine million NYC residents for drinking water against the desire of upstate communties for ecomomic development.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Project Energy, Ecology and Economy
Gymnaziums of Teplice and Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
We wanted to know how people treat energy, what kind of energy sources they prefer and what opinions they have about the power plants in the Czech Republic. Teplice, in North Bohemia, generates power from brown coal in surface mines and pits. In Cesky Krumlov, South Bohemia, a controversial nuclear power plant is being built to replace the coal. Consulting with specialists, students prepared a questionnaire which was distributed to over 2000 people in both regions and posted on our web page. We will share the results and the how the project worked.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: High
Youth 2000: Live Video-Conference from the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute
The Bermuda Zoological Society, Flatts, HFMX, Bermuda
Bermuda ‘s high population density and booming economy create great economic incentives to over-exploit our natural resources. It is critically important to foster the development of a conservation ethic within our young people. The proposed Youth2000 conference in April will give young people an opportunity to focus on some of our environmental issues, express their concerns and adopt resolutions for the management of our natural resources. The conference will result in these resolutions being presented to the Minister of the Environment by a youth leader.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
CSA Hudson River Project
IS 218 – Community Service Academy, New York, NY, USA
Interactive use of water quality equipment. Skits and pictures at the Hudson.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Primary / Middle
Session II
Doing What Comes Naturally
Miami Country Day School, Miami, FL, USA
Edible landscaping in your garden, classroom and closet! Good health for your body and planet. Sprouting botanists will take home a veritable garden of edibles.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Primary / Middle
Cultural and Environmental Issues from Central Europe
Gymnaziums Metodova, Bilikova and Vazovova, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
This workshop will consist of students from three Slovakian high schools presenting a variety of on-going projects that focus on modern natural resource, ecology and cultural issues. Topics will include: The Elemental Balance in the Cycle of Life; Entomology and Ecology in the Case of the Ladybird; and World Cultural Heritage.There will be a question and answer session following each presentation.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Every Drop Counts
IS 218 – TheWater Savers, New York, NY, USA
A theatrical performance that will teach the audience about water conservation problems and how to help protect water. We will also have an information booth.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Primary / Middle
Habitats of the Future
Academy of Mount Saint Ursula – ECO-SCI, New York, NY, USA
Comparison of habitats past, present and future, with an emphasis on human impact. Hands-on action planned.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Own The Zone: An Interactive, Youth Devised Board Game on Child Labor
Global Kids, Inc., New York, NY, USA
To increase public awareness of the issue of child labor, GK Youth Leaders created a life size human game called Own The Zone. This interactive educational game is a vehicle through which young people learn basic geography about child labor as it occurs in six different world regions. Conference participants will play this 12 ft. x 18 ft. cooperative game in teams and learn about ways into which to engage youth in addressing critical world issues through a youth development approach.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Hudson River PCB Contamination Interactive Mock Trial
E.C.O. – Red Hook High School, Red Hook, NY, USA
After discovery of high levels of PCB’s in the Hudson River, a trial began to decide whether to dredge the contaminants from the river or to leave them settling in the sediment. Be involved in this mock trial in which lawyers will ask questions of witnesses who represent groups interested in the issue. A hearing for the siting of a PCB landfill will be recreated. The workshop will also touch on corporate responsibility for Hudson River contamination.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: High
Community Based Air Monitoring
Council on the Environment of the City of New York & 5 NYC High Schools, NY, USA
Students will demonstrate how to use air monitoring equipment; how to interpret data; and how to access web site where project information is available.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
The Ecology Feud!
Ecology Club, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
We’re going to put on an interactive ‘Family Feud’ like game show. Volunteers and participants from the audience will be the game show guests. Our topics will be about current environmental issues. The questions are based on our research for environmental ‘Issue Boards’ that will be displayed at YouthCaN in the Hall of Ocean Life. There will be a prize for the winning team.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Community Mobilization: Waste Management
Mt. St. Mary’s College Namagunga, Lugazi, Uganda
Our workshop will involve a presentation on community mobilization involving the case of Namagunga students at Kigalamizi Village, Mukono, Uganda, to try to educate the locals on good waste disposal habits.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: High
Session III
Secondary School Air Monitoring and Assessment (SSAMA)
Halsey JHS 157, Rego Park – Queens, NY, USA
Regents Earth Science students from Halsey JHS 157 will demonstrate the PaxAnalytics Environmental Monitoring System as used in Queens County, which measures more than a dozen air pollutants together with meteorological variables. They will also show how the EMS software makes reports, charts and is able to connect schools both locally, regionally and internationally.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Cleaning Up Our Act
Queens Borough Public Library, Jamaica, NY, USA
Kids will produce a Public Service Announcement, or PSA, on an environmental topic (TBA).
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Planetary Notions – Student Environmental Magazine
H. Frank Carey High School, Franklin Square, NY, USA
Planetary Notions is an Environmental Magazine published annually by students from H. Frank Carey High School on Long Island. The workshop will show how students can interact with each other on the iearn.environ conference. Publishing tools along with the publication process is also explained. Students may join in on the compiling and publication of the next PN magazine in 2000. A major key to the success of the magazine is the constant communication with studetns around the world.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Cause and Effect: Global Warming
The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA
An interactive and hands on workshop which explores the cause and effect of global warming.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: High
Islandcare – Students Taking an Active Role in Decision Making
Norfolk Island Central School Environmental Club, Norfolk Island, So. Pacific, Australia
Islandcare is an environmental film and learning package created specifically for us by Norfolk Island students to increase awareness of their very special place on this planet. The design of the project can be used by students in any location to help build up awareness of their own local environment and to create a similar package for their own local environment. A booklet containing ten lessons accompanies the 30-minute video. Each chapter in the book looks at a different type of lesson, in a different place on the island and contains hands-on easy-to-read instructions.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High
Protecting National Parks
Srobarova 1 HS, Kosice, Slovakia
In Slovakia there is a national park named Slovenske Raj, which means ‘Slovak Paradise’. In this park there are a few Roma villages. The Romas who live there cut down thousands of trees. We know that this problem is not just environmental and is but a part of many problems that contribute to the destruction of the park. The presenters will compare similar problems in different countries and speak about how to protect national parks which are threatened in this way. This project is in collaboration with the US Peace Corps and other environmental organizations from Slovakia.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: High
Lab’s Alive! – Live Video-Conference from Australia
Ararat Community College, Victoria, Australia
A team of youth involved in the Lab’s Alive program give a report via video-conference on activities from their projects and environmental experiments underway.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Priamry / Middle
I*EARN Sunnyside Pond Study: Telecommunications Globally Leads to Action Locally
Sunnyside Elementary School, Pullman, WA, USA
Primary students at Sunnyside have been studying the Mallard duck nesting sites on an island in a local city park pond since 1993. Following the very encouraging support from the 1996 YouthCaN conference, the students were motivated to meet with the City Parks Supervisor and give a multi-media presentation to the City. After the City voted to fund the island restoration project, the island has been restored and the pond habitat has greatly improved. Now, Pullman students will return to YouthCaN via video-conference to report the results of this seven-year project.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Priamry / Middle
Ecological Footprints: How Much Space Do You Take Up?
Sustainability Education Center, New York, NY, USA
We will introduce the concept of the Ecological Footprint and share our insights and progress towards justice and sustainability that we have made through the Ecological Footprint Project.
Recommended Grade/Age Range: Middle / High