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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Franklin High School, El Paso, Texas, USA

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Franklin High School, El Paso, Texas, USA
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Crunch411



Registered: July 2008
City/Town/Province: el paso
Posts: 1
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In February 2008, I was selected by my science teacher, Mrs. Alicia Stevens, to be the chairperson in charge of organizing the first annual Earth Day celebration at Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas. I also presented a Science Fair project regarding global warming and recycling. I received first place in the school science fair and at the district science fair. I accepted the position and immediately began working towards organizing an event that would make a dramatic impact on the El Paso community. I developed a plan to organize a successful event and presented it to my teacher.
In the first stage, I needed to decide what type of event would have the most impact on the school and local community. I decided a community fair with games promoting environmental stewardship would positively reach the most people. I mapped out the steps needed to make this event run smoothly and began making arrangements.
The second stage required establishing and recruiting a committee to conduct the fair. I solicited the assistance of the school Science Club and Environmental Issues Committee to help with the event. The first few meetings were very difficult. I led a group of high school students that had minimal experience organizing such a large event. My committee brainstormed the activities and then volunteered for specific tasks. We met during school, after school and on weekends to prepare for the event. The event had fifty volunteers.
The third stage was to get companies to donate prizes for the Earth Day activities. I contacted several local companies and sent letters to the top ten fortune 500 companies. I received quite a few negative responses, but eventually gathered over 350 prizes ranging from Earth Day shirts, totes and hats to educational contributions from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. I designed the official event shirt for volunteers in the school colors. I also contacted the local news organizations to help promote the fair. KFOX news replied that they would cover the event and interview her. Additionally, I requested bins from the city of El Paso to be delivered for the collection of recyclables. I researched what items were not recycled very much and planned to request those items be brought to the fair and placed in the bins.
The fourth stage was to acquire some entertainment. I worked with the teachers to get the School Jazz band and a local favorite to donate their time and play some music.
The final stage involved advertising the event. Several flyers and posters were displayed at Franklin High School, Horenedo Middle School, Brown Middle School and Tippin Elementary School. I along with fellow volunteers placed information in the school newspaper and had the message broadcast during the morning announcements. I also placed information on the local news station web site, KDBC, to help promote the fair. In addition, I walked throughout the neighborhood handing out information about the fair.
On April, 22nd, the committee gathered for one last meeting before the event staged at 4:00 p. m. MST. Approximately, 200 people attended the fair ranging from children to adults. Several neighboring schools attended as well including Tippin, Brown and Hornedo. Local television station KFOX attended for a live Broadcast and interview and I was announced as the El Paso Electric Company “Green Champion” of the week for organizing a successful event. Several students and participants were interviewed after the fair and responses were very favorable showing the event made an impact on many lives in promoting Earth Day.
The Earth Day fair had several highlights. First, the Environmental Game Show featured two contestants competing against each other to quickly answer questions about the environment. The contestants learned more about the environment and won Earth Day related prizes. A second highlight was the popular “Dunking booth”. This booth featured many popular soccer players and cheerleaders that were available for a dip based on an accurate throw. This event drew the largest crowd. A third highlight was recycling center. The volunteers collected light bulbs, batteries, higher grade plastics, cell phones and old athletic shoes. These were items that our city doesn’t normally collect. The items were taken to the city recycling center and the athletic shoes will be given to the El Paso Rescue Mission.
I learned from this experience that leadership roles can be both stressful and rewarding. The initial meetings appeared unorganized and unproductive. As the volunteers became more comfortable in her leadership qualities and the meetings greatly improved. I chaired the Earth Day fair as Senator Gaylord Nelson did back in 1969. Her vision was that this event would change the attitudes of the community towards the environment and global warming. She coordinated the volunteers, entertainment, food booth, prizes from corporate donors and games. In addition to this, I maintained my grades in Advanced Placement classes, participated in dance practice for school and a local dance company, participated in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) in Albuquerque, New Mexico and attending two Leadership Seminars.
The first verifiable result was the reward by KFOX and El Paso Electric Company of the “Green Champion” of the week. The second verifiable result was the proceeds generated were three hundred and fifty dollars. This translates into 700 tickets sold for the three hour event. The money raised will be used to repair the school garden with native plants that consume minimal water. A third verifiable result was the amount of recyclables collected. Several boxes and five recyclable containers were filled with various items. The final verifiable results were interview questions asked to several of the participants. All of them responded that they learned something new about the environment from the fair. Additionally, I received several phone calls stating positive comments about the fair. Though I could not have coordinated any of this without the help of my mom, Dad, and Mrs. Stevens my pre-AP chemistry teacher.
Date: July 10, 2008 Views: 8208 File size: 35.8kb, 248.8kb : 1500 x 1125
Hours Volunteered: 250
Volunteers: 50
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 15 to 18
Area Restored for Native Wildlife (hectares): 0.4
Trash Removed/Recycled from Environment (kg): 754
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