Summit 2011
Photo Booth Photos
Thanks to Boston Events Imaging, we formatted our photos to simulate the cover of a new and trendy magazine about eating sustainable. Here are a few of the photos. Click the center photo to see the rest of these amazing photos.
Summit 2011 Photos
See the rest of our 2011 Summit Photos here. Check out the garden we planted and the green band, Melodeego with their bike-powered sound system.
Summit 2011 Video
BLS Youth CAN, in partnership with The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT, holds a 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! Check out the Summit Archives below for photos, newsletters and dvds and more about summit’s past. Watch this page for updates about the current summit as they become available.
On Saturday, May 21, 2011, Boston Latin School’s Youth Climate Action Network (BLS Youth CAN), in partnership with the Technology and Culture Forum at MIT, will host the fifth annual summit on global climate change for youth and educators. It will be a day of green vendors and grassroots displays, featuring workshops with environmental leaders. This year we’ve chosen to make food and sustainability our special theme because food offers such a powerful way to engage students in cultivating awareness about the larger issues of climate change and sustainability. Everyone cares about food! We hope to empower students to become educated consumers who understand the importance of their food choices both as they relate to improved personal health and to the improved health and sustainability of the larger community.
Special Guest Speakers: In honor of our 5th summit, Governor Deval Patrick has been invited to give the welcome, and Colin Beavan, No Impact Man, will give the keynote. http://www.noimpactdoc.com/trailer.php
Workshop Topics: Food Miles (the distance your food travels to get to your plate); Composting; Eating Less Meat (why is it important for saving energy and being more sustainable); How to Start a School Garden; The History of School Food & Farm to School Programs (bringing local farm fresh food to school cafeterias); Urban Community Gardens; Sustainable Agriculture; Fair Trade (is your food grown and produced in a way that treats workers fairly); Food Equity; Food Security; Reducing Waste; Access to Water, Choosing Tap Water (and avoiding bottled water); Filming a Public Service Announcement, and more.
Green Exhibitors: Several community service organizations and vendors have already been invited, such as the Alliance for Climate Education, Heifer International, Corporate Accountability International, the Boston Public Health Commission’s Go4Fresh campaign, the Food Project, Climate Counts, Equal Exchange, Stir A Memory, the New England Aquarium, Whole Foods, and more.
Activities: Join us for educational games & activities, like the healthy choices tug of war, or the junk food knock down. Make your own reusable lunch bag. Get your face painted, or get your photo taken in the photo-booth. Come to the fantasy school lunch food fashion show. Learn about “the steps to sustainability” from our own BLS step squad. We’ll provide breakfast, lunch, door prizes, green bands and more.
DETAILS:
Hosts: The Boston Latin School Youth Climate Action Network
When: Saturday May 21, 2011 Registration/Breakfast 9:00-9:30 a.m. Closing Presentation & Door Prizes 3:00 - 3:45
Where: MIT Stata Center (Building 32) 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA
Cost: FREE – attendees MUST register online at www.blsyouthcan.org
Who: The Summit is open to students in grades 7-12 as well as to the educators of students in grades 7-12.
What: A day of green vendors and grassroots displays, as well as climate change speakers and workshops. At the 2010 Summit, over 300 students, from 70 different schools across the greater metropolitan area attended. All who register (online) will be entered into a drawing for great door prizes such as iPods, gift certificates, and more.
Contact: Cate Arnold, BLS Youth CAN, 617-688-2262, catebarnold@aol.com or contactus@blsyouthcan.org
All workshops will run twice, once in each session, except for those designated ****Double-Session**** which indicates that they will run as one session over the course of both workshop session time slots. There will be ten workshop offerings in Workshop Session #1 and the same 10 offerings in Workshop Session #2. All summit attendees must either select two separate workshops, or sign up for one of the double-session workshops.
1. The Food Project: An Introduction to Food and Food Justice
Food Project Interns will deliver a highly interactive workshop educating participants about food justice issues with topics ranging from food systems, workers' rights, what's really in your food, and how far food travels to get to your plate. Come partner with the Food Project and find out how you can be part of individual and group actions for positive social change.
2. Green City Growers: How To Build & Maintain a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden
Come learn the basics of building a raised bed, and find out why it’s important when growing vegetables in urban environments. Discover what you need to know about materials, costs, maintenance, soil, irrigation and pest fencing. Learn how to plant, weed, and harvest. Find out how to start a garden at your school!
3. Studio G Architects: The Future of Architecture is Green and May Be on the Roof!
Buildings are responsible for 50% of total US energy consumption and 75% of US electricity consumption. Radical changes are needed in building design and urban planning to respond to the crisis of climate change. Hear about the issues and see cutting edge green design from around the world.
4. Quabbin Composting and Organic Gardening Program: The How's and Why's of School Composting and Gardening
Join this student-led workshop and learn about the environmental reasons for composting and how to set up a school-composting program. Get a great overview of what students in the Quabbin Program do and how money is raised for the program, including creating and marketing value-added products.
5. Chef & Nutritionist Jessica Krane, M.S., R.D.: Eating healthy doesn't have to be a drag!
Come meet chef and nutritionist Jessica Krane, and find out how to revise some popular recipes for the better. How about healthy enchiladas? Discover how to make guilt-free crispy tacos from Eating Well kitchen. From eating less meat to finding out how much fat, sugar and salt are in your favorite foods, this workshop will give you the information you need to make better food choices - for greater health, and greater sustainability. You'll also get to create your own healthy snack!
6. Improv Jones: Filming a PSA *** DOUBLE SESSION***
Led by members of a local improv troupe, workshop participants will be given a video camera, a prop, and support in filming a 2-minute public service announcement (PSA) about food and sustainability. Find out how to get your message across on film! This is a double workshop session. Please plan on attending this workshop for both workshop sessions.
7. Farm To School Program: Agriculture, Popular Food Culture, and the History of School Food *** DOUBLE SESSION***
How are we growing more food on more land with 1/10 the number of farmers? Why can’t army recruits do pushups anymore? What do Nazi warships and your bowl of instant Ramen have in common? Come learn about the history of school food over the past century and how popular food culture and agricultural policies have shaped the lunch tray. We will have time at the end to share/discuss what students can do to shape the future of school food. This is a double workshop session. Please plan on attending this workshop for both workshop sessions.
8. Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island: Food Justice in the Corner Store *** DOUBLE SESSION***
Ever wondered why corner stores in low-income communities have such bad and unhealthy food, and what systems are behind making it that way? More importantly, do you wonder what could be done to change that? This interactive youth-run workshop will teach you about why there is food and health inequality, and inspire you with youth-led solutions to create change and build food justice. This is a double workshop session. Please plan on attending this workshop for both workshop sessions.
9. The Bee Hive Design Collective: Graphics for the Commons - Collaborative Graphic Design for Movement Building *** DOUBLE SESSION***
Come work with a totally cool artist from the Beehive Design Collective and explore the challenges of sustainable food production. Collaborate in creating a graphic depiction in a large mural format. The Bee Hive Design Collective has spent 10 years developing an innovative and story-based education strategy that will be shared through an interactive, image-based graphic workshop. Come find out why art is a great tool for popular analysis, education, and organizing. Explore the complex issues that face our world in a hands-on, collaborative, image-making workshop. This is a double workshop session. Please plan on attending this workshop for both workshop sessions. Go to the Beehive's websitehttp://www.beehivecollective.org/english/front.htm to read more about them!
10. Alliance for Climate Education (ACE): Project Planning: How to Make Your Dream Green Project a Reality *** DOUBLE SESSION***
Come with an idea for a project you want your environmental/green club to do and we'll help you develop a plan so it becomes a reality! Connect with other ACE Action Teams and learn about ACE's resources to help your club.
