COLEGIO CIUDAD DE MEXICO PROJECT EARTH Every new generation needs change; it needs a revolution… Thomas Jefferson The Taller de Desarrollo Sustentable del Colegio Ciudad de México (or Mexico City School’s Sustainable Development Workshop) is the first approach of our school when trying to address the environmental problems our world, our country and our city are all facing. It was originally planned in the summer of 2009, and started in September of the same year. It is a voluntary, no-cost, week-end, year-long workshop. The main objective of the workshop is to show the students the complexity and beauty of Sustainable Development. The workshop’s aim is for sustainable education, applications, technologies as well as to develop a new way of thinking among the young students willing to take it. Objectives Our main objective in this starting year is to teach the students the basics of Sustainable Development by dividing the subject’s chapters into the four greek elements: Earth, Water, Wind and Fire; all the chapters are given with a light “dressing” of Soul, or human factor. Each Greek Element (Chapters) refers to different topics such as: - Earth: Garbage, Earth Pollution, Recycling - Water : Water pollution, World Fisheries, Water Savings - Wind : Air Pollution - Fire : Energy, Clean Energy, Energy Savings - Soul . Our Community, Our Society, Ethics Other objectives aim for the transcendence of the knowledge acquired in the course. The students will take this knowledge and apply it into their families, neighborhood and school community. Students have to start to get organized and promote the creation of a Student Association in order to achieve a healthy and sustainable a student community. Article for IB Magazine The Mexico City School, recognizing the importance of environmental education, has initiated this school year, a workshop on Sustainable Development for their students. Unlike other similar workshops, already established into each section, this has the participation of Middle and High School students, thereby achieving intergenerational interaction. The aim of the workshop is to explore the Sustainable Development of comprehensive manner, to generate environmental awareness. This objective can be achieved by addressing issues such as: Environment, Alternative Energy, Ecotourism, Separation of Garbage, Recycling, Energy Saving and Consumption. The workshop is unique in its didactic structure uses different strategies to generate real environmental awareness and sustainability. Some activities taking place throughout the year include: interactive lectures, films, reading comprehension, roundtables, conferences with specialists, art installations (murals, paintings, sculpture, theater), guided tours and ecological tours. Students are expected to identify with the issues and can transcend their environment. Similarly, students are encouraged to participate in sustainable school projects that benefit the school community and in any other scenario. To strengthen the "contact" with the environment, will make a number of eco-tourist visits to educate students on environmental issues, put them in contact with different cultures and ecosystems to the metropolitan, guide decisions regarding consumption on a journey vacation and as a result, understand what sustainable tourism means. Ecotourism is a fundamental pillar to raise awareness among students and their families, to act in favor of a more equitable and sustainable. Between trips to be undertaken are: * Laguna de Catemaco (home of the high rainforest northernmost of the Americas) in the region of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz. In this place you will visit places as diverse as the lagoon, mangroves Sontecomapan, the biosphere reserve of Los Tuxtlas, in addition to environmental and Nanciyaga theme parks. This tour also explores the idea of sustainable tourism to camp in a forest preserve land and compare it with the surrounding terrain. * Journey to the Azufres (region of hot springs and geothermal generating plants-electric). * Trip to the National Center for Research on alternative energy, Temixco, Morelos. * A visit to a sustainable village in Xalapa, Veracruz. * A trip to an indigenous community autosustenable in the northern mountains of Puebla in Cuetzalan. The topics covered in the workshop are varied and include: Sustainability and Climate Change, Economy and Environment, Energy and Environment, Sustainable Transportation Technologies, Energy, Food, Housing, Green Cities, Green Roofs, Solid Waste and Cycle Products (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), among others. The theme of the workshop is "Applications in your City", which encourages members to address relevant ideas and actions to mitigate climate change and above all, build projects, including: Construction of a solar water heater the kitchen, installing dry urinals throughout the school, installing water-saving faucets, creation of green roofs and urban gardens, maintained by students and for their consumption, draft regional rides, among students. These projects are embedded within our project Creativity, Action and Service (CAS). Finally, to share with the school community learning acquired at the workshop and disseminate sustainable projects, students will develop a Virtual Ecological Bulletin which will be not only an information space, but a means of motivation for the entire school community to develop a environmental awareness collectively. Professor Rodrigo Alfaro Celebrating EARTH DAY This year we celebrated Earth Day in our school working together from Primary through Secondary and High School by organizing different activities around the school which had different perspectives such as Water Pollution, Toxic Waste, Waste Management, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Energy Saving.Everyone found out their ecological footprint and wrote proposals on how to reduce it. Students worked on posters, collages, drawings and participated in a forum discussion based on the film HOME. Celebrating WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL DAY On June 4th, we plan to celebrate with two conferences on the topic with specialist coming from UNAM and a forum discussion integrating all school sections. Achievements With less than a year of creation, the workshop has now many achievements to account for in the school. Among the various achievements that have been successful we can look at: - Garbage Separation Baskets. Before the workshop, ideas were vague regarding this important action. We studied the garbage generated at school, made a proposal and contributed to the construction of the new garbage separation system. - A Compost Bin. We have a composting bin that works with the required organic residues to make compost at school, and all the students can see, touch and smell (now they know it doesn´t smell bad at all!) - A Greenhouse (!) –For next year we are now planning on having an active greenhouse to grow fresh produce for our internal consumption and promote active house gardening among the students - Four Eco-Trips – A fantastic experience for all the students involved in the workshop. It has created new friendships and, more important, a deep sense of community. - Urban Gardening – With our friends of Sembradores Urbanos, we have managed to teach the students how to grow their own, healthy food at home. - PET & Batteries especial recollection and disposal. We separate and make sure PET is recycled as well as the batteries are disposed safely and properly. - School Integration. Plans for next year are to include a one-hour-per-week class to everyone at Secondary and High School solely about Sustainable Development. This has the purpose of promoting, even more, sustainable development among willing students unable to meet the workshop´s requirements. Many projects are being planned for parents and young students (primary school) to promote Sustainable Development in the WHOLE school community. LINKS Our Workshop’s LOGO (“May your footprints be always green…”) http://00498593511369439699-a-g.googlegroups.com/web/LOGO+TALLER.jpg?gda=SmQ_iUUAAADGXAYLwqdC04QLxCvW8aSSvjhEGQGxw--sFI3XfhYLyStH3m-Wj6S8l0dCdpXp2oJV4u3aa4iAIyYQIqbG9naPNxkdxvEFa2CLleyDNlbFmQ Our Workshop’s PROMOTION POSTER (Good Green Ideas, in Spanish of course…) http://00498593511369439699-a-g.googlegroups.com/web/Logo+Ambiental.jpg?gda=6A44sUgAAADGXAYLwqdC04QLxCvW8aSSvjhEGQGxw--sFI3XfhYLydqU0bjt5QL5JSHp_mFdEetzlqnWZQD3y6jZqCMfSFQ6jCubYezKnCrGqPj_hNkodQ Our Workshop’s GOOGLE GROUP An ideal place for discussions, e-mailing, and sharing stuff. Any member can upload and download its content. A great idea that accounts all our discussions, messages, documents, and presentations! http://groups.google.com.mx/group/Ciudad_Sustentable School Article The IB (International Baccaleaureat) Section of the Mexico City School had an article published in the IB WORLD magazine in October 2009. The workshop has risen interest among other IB schools in Mexico and other parts of Latin America in the IB Network. http://www.colegiociudaddemexico.edu.mx/otros/polanco/bi/cas/sustentabilidadccm.pdf Photo Slides A great way to share our experiences with our families, friends and, (why not?) the world… We’ve done two visits outside Mexico City. We have promoted SUSTAINABLE TOURISM and explained the full benefits of this practice to the kids. The money spent on the trip is carefully set, and we’ve managed to make cheap trips with lots of great experiences and helping as much people as possible, so that this type of tourism really makes regions and people prosper... SOUL One of the visits was to Catemaco (the northernmost Tall Rainforest region of America), a delicate and beautiful place that is in extreme danger of disappearing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7LpAhPWD7s The second was to Cuetzalan, Puebla; the cloudforest and all of its magnificent features. We also met the indigenous peoples communities and interacted in the way they share and work the land (coperativas). A great visit full of history, coffee, waterfalls and mist… EARTH Our Workshops commitment with healthy eating drove us to meet Sembradores Urbanos. http://sembradoresurbanos.org/ An organization meant to “transform “trash” into fertile soil, healthy food and income within the city” as their founders preach. We helped them built a huge “URBAN VEGETABLE GARDEN” next to Torre Reforma, Mexico City’s tallest building in Paseo de la Reforma. This is a slideshow from our first experience with the kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JehCHPa2qDA We went back a couple of months later to see our job’s rewards. This is the site of the photo-album of the Urban Vegetable Garden Collection Day: http://picasaweb.google.com/rodrigoalfarobc/SembradoresUrbanos?authkey=Gv1sRgCKrd6MnugpGlWg# WATER We were also interested in showing the kids the extremely difficult conditions Mexico City faces regarding getting FRESH WATER. We explained the difficult situation in the best environment possible: Magdalena River Basin; the last of the “Live” rivers of Mexico City. A beautiful place full of oyamel trees, pine trees, maple trees and the majestic Magdalena River. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhnLL_MIle4&feature=fvsr (Amazingly enough, all the park is within the city’s limits (!) ) WASTE SEPARATION We promote waste separation through specific information posters just right the garbage bins. We also collect PET bottles in specific bins and a specific group picks it up to take it to a special disposal. http://picasaweb.google.com/rodrigoalfarobc/BasuraCCM?feat=email# EARTH DAY CELEBRATION Some pictures of the posters and drawings for Earth´s day celebration. http://picasaweb.google.com/rodrigoalfarobc/BasuraCCM?feat=email#