The Problem
Project Wish:
To raise student and community awareness about Climate Change, with a particular focus on Deforestation and how it impacts indigenous peoples, wildlife, air and water quality. Deforestation is a key Climate Change contributor, and there are positive action steps Kids for Positive Change students, in Ashtabula, Ohio, and Bronx, New York, can take, to curb deforestation. We teach the students that we are all connected, and this project, like past projects focused on plastic pollution, will show students that deforestation in the Amazon and Indonesia, not only impacts indigenous people and wildlife in those regions, but impacts them and their part of the world as well! When students make the connection between deforestation and their own actions, aka, what we do "here," matters "there," they, along with their families and community members will be empowered to create positive change!
Our Plan
Kids for Positive Change is launching a "Choose a Platform" Initiative which lists various Climate Change Contributors. We will engage students with an interactive presentation about Climate Change and emphasize how deforestation is a main Climate Change Contributor. The KPC program will highlight palm oil plantations, cattle ranching and mining for metals used in mobile devices, as key problems associated with deforestation. Each problem will align with JGI Campaigns, like the Sustainable Livelihood Program and feature One-Click Campaigns, #EatMeatLess and #ForestisCalling. Students will learn how deforestation impacts not only indigenous communities and wildlife, but because it is a Climate Change Contributor, impacts their community on a local level. One example: Northeast Ohio is experiencing excessive rain which is impacting local farmer's crops. Students will partake in a "Walk in Their Shoes" assignment, where each student will "become" a person or animal that has been impacted by Climate Change, emphasizing those impacted as a direct result of deforestation. Students will study foods containing palm oil using the Cheyenne Zoo Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping App. Students will launch a school-system wide and family-wide survey to learn how many students, parents and teachers are aware of palm oil, how many eat meat and how many upgrade their mobile devices on a regular basis. This survey will extend into the community.
Students will share their knowledge with their families and community members through Classroom-Community Action KPC events, City Council meeting and Board of Education Meetings and call for community action! Students will work individually or in Think Tank Teams and develop solutions for the deforestation problem and take action by implementing solutions throughout their school and community.
Possible solutions: Writing to local supermarkets about carrying products made with sustainable palm oil. Using the Sustainable Palm Oil App when shopping. Use student-created shopping list of foods that contain sustainable palm oil. Implementing Meatless Mondays at School and Meatless weeks at home! Pledging to use mobile devices until they are spent and then recycling them, instead of upgrading.
