Network Initiatives

 

Youth Climate Action Network Initiatives

In addition to working on separate projects in their own individual schools and communities, Youth CAN member groups commit to working on several larger initiatives together.  Below is the current list of Youth CAN initiatives that the network is working on.



The Massachusetts Education for Sustainability and Climate Literacy Campaign (MESCLC)
At the 2008 Annual Global Climate Change Summit, Youth CAN students initiated the formation of a coalition of like-minded students, educators, administrators, parents, and friends committed to working together to ensure that students in Massachusetts are educated for sustainability and learn about global warming as a required part of their secondary school educational experience.  The Massachusetts Education for Sustainability and Climate Literacy Campaign, or MESCLC, brings together a broad range of interest groups in an effort to establish education for sustainability and climate literacy standards and curriculum for schools in Massachusetts, with a goal of requiring that such teaching become thoroughly integrated into the curriculum across disciplines.
The MESCLC Plan:

  1. 1.Develop and make available interdisciplinary (math, science, social studies, language arts, economics, etc.) sustainability and climate change curriculum for grades 7-12

  2. 2.Create a specific MESCLC Proposal with curriculum that educates for sustainability and promotes climate literacy

  3. 3.Align proposed curriculum with existing state frameworks and standards for the given subject

  4. 4.Establish Education for Sustainability and Climate Literacy Benchmarks that will indicate what a student who is educated for sustainability and about climate change should know and be able to do

  5. 5.Make sure that the curriculum proposed promotes learning towards established benchmarks

  6. 6.Pilot the MESCLC Proposal in our own school

  7. 7.Promote piloting the proposal district-wide

  8. 8.Collaborate with a coalition of stake holders, eg:  college students - GOAL network, parents, educators, administrators, government officials - Secretary of Energy and Environment's Educational Advisory Board, Boston City Councillors, service professionals etc., as well as multiple groups in the Youth CAN membership (16 groups at present) to develop and promote the proposal

  9. 9.Organizing Public hearings to promote the proposal as a state-wide requirement



Climate Change Curriculum Resources

In conjunction with the Mass Climate Literacy Campaign, BLS Youth CAN is maintaining a webpage with links to climate change curriculum resources for educators.

http://www.blsyouthcan.org/For_Educators.html

Please let us know if you come across good relevant climate change curriculum resources for us to consider (contactus@blsyouthcan.org)



Annual Global Climate Change Summit at MIT

BLS Youth CAN, in partnership with The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT, holds an annual global climate change summit at MIT every spring.  Thanks to generous donations, the summit is free to all students in grades 7-12, as well as to all educators of students in grades 7-12.  Previous summits have included exciting keynote speakers, workshops, film screenings, entertainment, vendors, door prizes and more! 


See Summit Archives at http://www.blsyouthcan.org/Summit_Archive.html for photos, newsletters dvds and more about the summit.  Watch our Summit Archive page for updates about the current summit as they become available.  The 2009 Summit Planning Group is already at work for next spring’s climate summit!



National Teach-in on Global Climate Change Solutions

Youth CAN participates in an annual national teach-in on global climate change solutions.  Youth groups are encouraged to register to participate and to organize teach-in events at their schools. 
For more information go to http://www.nationalteachin.org/


Help Expand the Youth Climate Action Network

There’s strength in numbers!  The first two annual Youth CAN climate change summits at MIT were a great success with over 60 schools participating in 2008.  Many students and educators left the summit with ideas for clubs of their own. Six Youth CAN groups are now in existence!  Current Youth CAN member groups are:  BLS Youth CAN, BLA Youth CAN, Milton Academy Youth CAN, Codman Academy Youth CAN, Cambridge CAN, and Brookline H.S. Youth CAN.  At the first summit, BLS Youth CAN provided Youth CAN starter kits, which contained informative and interesting books about climate action, ideas for fundraisers and activities for environmental clubs, and an outline of the steps we took to establish a successful, proactive, and fun youth organization.  We have additional starter kits reserved for schools that want to start their own climate change group.   Help us encourage other groups to get started.  If you know someone at a school that doesn’t have a global warming group, encourage them to ask for a starter kit, and get one going (www.contactus@blsyouthcan.org) Encourage any groups that you know of who are working with youth on global warming issues to become either a Youth CAN member group or a Youth CAN partner group.  Join this committee to help us stay in touch with network members, plan network events, and do outreach to new members. For a starter kit, go to the Youth CAN networking page


Public Service Announcements

Youth groups are encouraged to make 30-second and  1-minute public service announcements about the need for climate change education in our schools to support the Massachusetts Climate Literacy Campaign.  Send us your PSAs and we’ll post them on the Youth CAN website



3-2-1 Pledges

Take simple steps towards reducing your carbon footprint.  Youth CAN pledges to:


3 Unplug 3 electronic devices (T.V., Computer) when not in use (saves 3,000 lbs CO2/year)

2 Bring 2 plastic or reusable bags when shopping (saves 50 lbs CO2/year)

1 Replace a high-use incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb (saves 100 lbs CO2/year)



Think Outside the Bottle

Youth CAN supports the Think Outside the Bottle campaign, challenging the corporate control of water, and the hazardous environmental impacts of the bottled water industry.  We ask all Youth CAN member groups not to buy bottled water, and instead use reusable water bottles.  Ask your friends and family to sign the Think Outside the Bottle pledge. Find out more at http://www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org/


Do Something Increase Your Green Competition

Youth CAN wants youth groups to participate in the increase your green competition. BLS Youth CAN competed in 2008 and won! Schools who reduce their carbon footprint could win up to $1,500 to further their efforts!  Participants must make concrete efforts towards reducing the environmental impact of their school during the eight-week competition. All initiatives must be youth designed and led. A representative from each group must submit an online report of the school or club’s actions to save energy, reduce waste and raise awareness during the competition.  For more information go to http://www.dosomething.org/increase_your_green




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