Conferences

Did you Enjoy the 2012 YouthCaN NYC Conference?

3/31/2012: Activity day

4/1/2012: Setup day

4/2/2012: CONFERENCE DAY 

YouthCaN Conference FAQS

1. What are the criteria for students to join the global YouthCaN Planning Committee?

Answer: There are no criteria. Youth can just join right in the conversation.

2. If our students are involved in the global YouthCaN Planning Committee how and when will they know about the decisions the group makes?

Answer: They should all happen by way of the YouthCaN forum so as long as your students are participating via the iEARN forum.  You and they should check the forum regularly so the youth will know about any decision immediately.  It’s also possible to “subscribe” e-mail addresses to the forum if accessing the web is difficult or expensive for you and your students.

3. We want to present a workshop at the Conference in NYC. How large can our group be?

Answer:  We have a wide variety of workshop spaces, from a typical classroom that seats a total of 30 to theaters that seat a total of 290. With this in mind the size of the presenting group can vary, depending on the format of your workshop. If you are presenting a hands-on classroom activity, I would suggest a maximum of about 5 student presenters. If you are doing some sort of theater performance, you could have many "presenters" or "actors" in this case.

4. How many adults can assist students who are presenting a workshop at the Conference in NYC?

Answer: In YouthCaN we strongly believe in Youth being the leaders, so adults are not generally involved in the presentation. We support the youth from the sidelines, and the degree of support and number of adults required would vary based on the complexity of the workshop, the skills of the students and other considerations. We minimize the adult presence in the presentation.

5. How many adults can travel with students who are attending, in any capacity, the Conference in NYC?

Answer: If you are thinking about chaperones for travel and attending the conference, we do recommend 1 adult per every 10 youth

6. Are there any age limits for the students?

Answer: Up to 18 years old has been our guideline.

7. Do we need to pay an IEARN membership fee of $100 for a whole group or for each individual?

Answer: There is no fee to participate in the YouthCaN Conference or YouthCaN in general.  If you are interested in participating in any of the 200+ other projects within iEARN, US teachers are asked to pay a minimal membership fee of $100 for access to projects and global community of 44,000+ educators in 165 countries. Contact iEARN-USA, <iearn@us.iearn.org>.

8. Are all the expenses of participation in the Conference covered by us or will some parts be covered by iEARN?

Answer: There is no registration fee for participation in the conference. You are responsible for all of your travel, housing and food expenses related to attending YouthCaN in NYC.

9. Do you have some suggestions for places to stay that are relatively close (walking distance) to the American Museum of Natural History?

Answer: Here are some suggestions for places that are relatively close (all walking distance) to the American Museum of Natural History, which is between West 77th to 81st Streets and Amsterdam Avenue, next to Central Park.

• Hotel Belleclaire: http://www.hotelbelleclaire.com
• Hotel Beacon: http://www.beaconhotel.com
• Hotel Newton: http://www.thehotelnewton.com
• Youth Hostel: http://www.hinewyork.org
• International Student Center: http://www.nystudentcenter.org/AboutUs.html

The per night rates are very different at these places.

10. About how much should we budget, daily for food?

Answer: For food, you will need approximately (in US dollars):

• Breakfast: $7-12
• Lunch:   $8-17
• Dinner:  $12-25

11. Are there any grants or sponsors for this event?

Answer:  This is a question best answered by iEARN. iEARN-USA <iearn@us.iearn.org>.

12. We need US visas to enter the country. Will we have visa support?

Answer: In the past iEARN-USA has written letters of invitation for Visa applications. iEARN will need: 1) the full name of each applicant; 2) their date of birth; 3) place of birth; 4) their passport number. And perhaps other information like: 1) travel itinerary; and 2) name of school and/or traveling organization. Unfortunately, a letter of invitation does not guarantee a USA visa.  This is a decision solely made by the official in the US Embassy.  Contact iEARN-USA <iearn@us.iearn.org>.

Saturday, March 31st Was Pre-Conference Activity Day!

EXPLORE NEW YORK CITY

All conference participants were invited go on an environmentally-themed New York walk.

Monday, April 2nd The BIG event!

9:00 - 9:45 - REGISTRATION

School groups registered and there was an opportunity to meet and greet other YouthCaNers from around the world.

9:45 - 10:15 - OPENING CEREMONY

YouthCaN students introduced the day, the theme and express their concerns about protecting the environment in the Kaufmann Theater.

10:25- 11:10 - WORKSHOP SESSION ONE

11:20 - 12:05 - WORKSHOP SESSION TWO

12:15- 1:00 - WORKSHOP SESSION THREE

Each student registered for TWO workshop sessions, and had one 'open' session. Students participated in a third workshop during their open session, if space allowed. We encouraged students to spend time during their open session in the North Galleria to view and explore informative displays of student work and environmental organizations.

1:10 - 1:45 - CLOSING CEREMONY

YouthCaN concluded the formal program of events with a special activity back in the Kauffman Theater.

1:45-5:45 The Museum was ours to explore!

10:25 - 11:10 - WORKSHOP SESSION ONE

VIDEOCONFERENCE: "Air Quality & Purification Technology"

SMK SG Kertas (Batu Caves, Malaysia)                                                             For ages 15-17

Presenting a model for a smoke detector and air purification system to improve air quality.

WORKSHOP: "LABSTROVE: Labschool Loves Mangrove Trees"

SMA Labschool (Jakarta, Indonesia)                                                                     For ages 12-18

An ongoing project to maintain mangrove habitats on Tidung Island through planting.

WORKSHOP: "How to Cook Everything Under the Sun"

Miami County Day School (Miami, Florida)                                                     For ages 9-18

An introduction to solar cooking, including oven construction and recipes.

WORKSHOP: "The Problems of the Black Sea & Their Solution"

Crimean Gymnasia (Bakhchisarai, Ukraine)                                                    For all ages

Exploring resource development, and the effects of--and potential solutions to-- climate change in the Black Sea.

VIDEOCONFERENCE: "The Activities of YouthCaN Lebanon"

International Education Association (Beirut, Lebanon)                                   For ages 10-15

An interactive discussion of the environmental projects, activities, and solutions addressed by YouthCaN Lebanon.

VIDEOCONFERENCE: "Flood Management & Water Treatment Process (FLOMP)"

Taman Keramat Secondary School (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)                          For ages 15-18

A flood-management system that uses sensors and reverse osmosis to provide clean water, and reduce risk of casualties and damage.

VIDEOCONFERENCE: "Dishwashing Liquid Made Easy at Home"

Quirino High School (Quezon City, Philippines)                                                 For ages 12-17

Learn how to make environmentally-friendly dishwashing liquid at home in small quantities or large.

11:20 - 12:05 - WORKSHOP SESSION TWO

WORKSHOP: "The Power of One Child – Global Action Classroom"

Earth Child Institute (Milford, Connecticut)                                                          For ages 12-18

Introducing a new program aimed at empowering young people to influence international environmental policy, with participants in Brazil, Qatar, Nigeria, Nepal, Ghana, Seychelles, and the U.S.

WORKSHOP: "Our School as a Green Zone"

SMA Labschool Cibubur (Bekasi, Indonesia)                                                       For ages 12-18

A high school in West Java presents their ongoing exploration of composting and waste management solutions.

VIDEOCONFERENCE: "The AquaPure Project"

SMK King George V (Seremban, Malaysia)                                                       For ages 14-16

Using a small solar-powered boat to clean up oil spills through the release of genetically-modified bacteria.

WORKSHOP: "Hunting & Gathering: Recycle. Re-Imagine. Renew"

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)                       For ages 9-11

Learn how to create garden walls and mini-greenhouses by reusing recycled plastic water bottles.

WORKSHOP: "What's on your plate?"

Academy of Mount Saint Ursula (Bronx, New York)                                        For ages 12-18

Environmental, health, and social issues surrounding poaching, packaging, and treatment of meat and livestock.

WORKSHOP: "You Have Something to Say, So Be Heard"

Museum for African Art (Long Island City, New York)                                     For ages 14-18

Learn to use simple and inexpensive techniques to record and share the human stories of environmental and social issues.

VIDEOCONFERENCE: "Robotic Pest Control"

SMK Seri Kundang (Rawang, Malaysia)                                                        For ages 13-17

Students discuss plans for a robotic pest control and plant-maintenance system.

WORKSHOP: "Poisons in the Air: Everyday Causes of Asthma"

Martin Luther King Jr. School (Wyandanch, New York)                                  For ages 8-14

Learn how common environmental triggers can cause resperatory problems, and what you can do about it.

12:15 - 1:00 - WORKSHOP SESSION THREE

WORKSHOP: "World Savvy: Bangladesh

World Savvy (Queens, New York)                                                                  For all ages

Aury Hernandez speaks about his experiences with climate change and its affect on the people of Bangladesh.

WORKSHOP: "Extremely Close and Incredibly Mossy: A 470 Million Year Adventure in the World of Bryophytes!"

The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx, New York)                                     For ages 10-18

The Advanced Explainers from The New York Botanical Garden take you on a dramatized journey from ice ages to the lives of famous historical New York figures. You'll never see moss the same way again!

WORKSHOP: "Sustainable Lifestyles--Health Food at a Health School"

Al Ikhlas Vocational Health School (Kabupaten Bogor, Indonesia)              For ages 11-18

Building a sustainable meal program through planting, cooking, and selling vegetables in West Java.

WORKSHOP: "Friends of Gaia: A Novel Social Networking Site for Environmental Activists"

Friends of Gaia (Melville, New York)                                                              For ages 13-18

Introducing a new online community for environmental activists and exploring the potential for social media to raise environmental awareness.