On June 26, 2010, the Green Schools Alliance in partnering with the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) of the U.S Wildlife Services held its second annual student climate and conservation congress (Sc3). Held in NCTC, which is a government-owned forested property on the Potomac River outside of Washington DC with access to top-rate national researchers, Sc3 empowers students with the skills, knowledge and tools necessary to plant the seeds of change in their schools, homes and communities.
The 5 day conference included renowned guest lectures, substantial group discussions, and networking opportunities between environmental and economic leaders and students themselves. The last year's keynote speakers were Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Douglas Brinkley, Rob Watson and Andrew Revkin. The next Sc3 conference keynote speakers were Dr. Sylvia Earle, Bill McKibben, Dr. Robert Michael Pyle and Rob Watson. Prominent speakers such as Dr. Sylvia Earle, who received the 2009 TED prize, talked about the recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Leading discussions regarding current environmental issues, many speakers helped students to learn profound insights of these conflicts.
After the lecture, students were divided into different cohort groups to discuss the lecture, current environmental issues and what activities each student was involved in. Each cohort had to create a proposal that the students were going to present on the last day of camp. Interacting with other environmental leaders from all over the nation, students gained broader perspective on leading the global climate change movement.
Besides the lectures and group discussions, students at Sc3 also had a balanced quality time for outdoor programs. Students were involved in walkabouts, river hikes, campfire stories, star-gazing, white-water rafting, archery and other outdoor activities to appreciate the nature. Through outdoor activities such as white-water rafting, students not only immersed themselves in the nature, but also interacted with other students through team work and social skills. The balance between quality outdoor programs, superb speakers and a prime faculty enabled the students to have a greater understanding of the interrelation between human economies and the natural environment, making them an even stronger influence for sustainable change in their local community.
The Student Climate and Conservation congress was a visionary inspiration from former President Theodore Roosevelt, who envisioned a global conservation corps that would reach and motivate every corner of society. To initiate Roosevelt's vision, the graduating class of 2010 Sc3 will develop individual and collective action plans to meet 21st century challenges. In order to support and initiate students to lead their communities, the Green Schools Alliance provided them with a Green Tools kit. The Green Tools kit includes strategies to improve energy efficiency, methods to calculate carbon emissions and an action checklist to check its progress. From the knowledge and Green Tools the students have acquired from the Sc3 congress, they will set sustainable, energy-smart goals and have the ability to measure the progress in their schools, homes or communities.
