Internationalt

Educators worldwide: Connecting on climate change education as never before – with the Copenhagen conferences

By Alice Hendricks, High School Science Teacher and Assistant Editor, ClimateChangeEducation.org

I would like to encourage my fellow climate change educators: let's be sure to fully utilize the extraordinary opportunities we have in relation to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen - especially that teachers, students, and kids all VERY much have a place in what is now taking place.

I am so thrilled by the programs for educators and young people -- the Teachers' COP15 website, this blog you are now reading, the ICE09 conference, the conference for youth, and so many other programs and resources that are debuting now.

Most of us will not be in Copenhagen; we won't physically be at the conferences.  Yet, we are can be there. LET'S BE THERE - TOGETHER.
Please, let's use these amazing tools, like this website and blog.

I believe that this is the right thing to happen.  We need to break the habit where people are forever flying one place or another – as happens at least in countries like the United States, where I was born and raised. That causes way too many greenhouse gas emissions. It also wastes precious time and money – and we all know how little education programs have of that.

Instead, it’s right that representative delegates will go. Let’s have them be our correspondents.  And, let’s have our students and colleagues really follow their reports. For every person who travels to Copenhagen, there can be hundreds and thousands who are connecting on-line and through reports.  There are so many wonderful things coming out of the Copenhagen conferences. We all CAN be there, after all!

We at ClimateChangeEducation.Org are devoting all we know how to give to support to the programs for teachers surrounding the Copenhagen Conference.  We have millions of visitors worldwide. Whatever our portal websites can do, we want to help.

We’re also working to connect up teachers, students and education programs on the local and regional level with the COP15 Teachers' website and the conferences. We’re making announcements in the schools, at local events, sending emails, and bringing it up in conversation.  This is a wonderful opportunity.

Please do what you might do yourselves. We will all get so much back in return.
Let’s share with each other what we have, what we are doing.

Like never before, we can connect programs on the international level, learn from each other, share resources and help one another. Very likely, the eyes of the world will be on climate change during the Copenhagen. As this happens, teachers worldwide will come together as never before. This will be powerful; this will be lasting; this will be a major advance.

If your school is doing something great, if you have or know of a wonderful program or resource: please put it on the Teachers' COP 15 map.
Please survey the other entries – for ideas, inspiration, and connections.

Email one another. Please also feel free to write us if we should include your recommendations in our International Portal of Climate Change Education Resources and Programs (opens a new window): international(at)climatechangeeducation.org

Let’s all get to know what we can do for each other, and really start to connect - all around our planet.

Skrevet 2009-10-16, 12:03 af Anders Raun i kategorien Generelt  |  Kommentarer[0]