November 2, 2009
This month the, the National Conference Newsletter has a special theme: the 2010 Massive Outreach Event.
(A) A Message from the conference team: We want you to take the MOE national!
(B) Brief MOE Schedule
(C) Part I: YOU will engage youth
(D) Part II: The Keynote
(E) Keynote Speaker Shauna Sylvester
(F) Youth Action Time and the Youth Action Video
(A) A Message from the conference team: We want you to take the MOE national!
As you would expect with a changing organization and a changing conference, we are going to change a core aspect of many of our conferences: The MASSIVE Outreach Event. We are changing the direction of this year's event to target youth.
On January 8th from 9 am to 12 pm, EWB conference delegates will be taking part in a massive outreach event that will take over the St. John's area. Our 400 delegates will be sent to high schools across the city to engage nearly 4000 youth. Then, a keynote event will be broadcast live to thousands of students throughout St. John's and across the province!
But wait, there is more. We want to challenge chapters to make this NATIONAL! On January 8th we want chapters to engage youth across the country. We challenge those folks staying at home to still be a part of the conference and this event. How? By planning to host youth engagement presentations on the same day that we do the MOE.
You can do any of the workshops we normally do in high schools, you can use the workshop we are creating for this event, or you can do something totally different. The basic goal of the national event is for chapter members to engage youth across the country on the same day as the Massive Outreach Event at the National Conference.
Imagine thousands of youth engaged across the country on the same day!
So what do you think? Let us know if your chapter wants to participate. Our potential for media attention and impact on youth is huge. Whether we reach that potential is up to you the chapters.
Below is a very detailed description of the Massive Outreach Event. Enjoy!
Signed,
The conference team
P.S. For those of you attending the conference you will need to prepare for the presentation before arriving in St. John's. We will get you the workshop in November. We also hope that you will practice presenting it to students at home so that you are ready to deliver it here in Newfoundland.
(B) Brief MOE Schedule
845-9am: Delegates set-up presentations in classrooms
9 am - 10 am: Part I - Presentations in classrooms
10 am - 1025 am: Students and delegates travel to gymnasiums or auditoriums for keynote portion of the event.
1025 am to 1150 am: Part II - Keynote (schedule below)
(C) Part I: YOU will engage youth
The first hour of the massive outreach event will take place in 13 high schools in the St. John's area. EWB conference delegates will be delivering presentations to classrooms in these thirteen schools.
The goal of the morning activities is to empower students to see themselves as change leaders and to inspire them to take positive action in their school and community. The morning content will consist of a 60-minute interactive presentation that gets students thinking and talking about how they can be a leader and take action. These presentations will be delivered in classrooms by teams of two or three EWB volunteers.
Conference Delegates will need to be prepared for this presentation before arrival in St. John's. We will send you the workshop in November.
(D) Part II: The Keynote
This part of the event will be broadcast live to schools over the web. Students will gather in their gymnasiums or auditoriums to watch and participate.
The goal of this portion is to have students realize the role they can play in society and to give them the energy to start taking action. The students will feel empowered and will be given the tools to start acting as global citizens.
What students will be involved?
The event is catered towards high school students, but junior high students could also gain tremendous value from this portion of the event.
The schedule for the keynote portion of the event is as follows (starting at 1025 am):
Welcome by EWB (8 mins)
Introduction/Video: from Surprise Guest! (5 mins)
Keynote: Shauna Sylvester (biography below) (25 mins)
Question and Answer Period: (15 mins)
Youth Action Video (8 mins)
Action Time (24 mins)
(E) About Keynote Speaker Shauna Sylvester
Who is Shauna Sylvester?
Shauna Sylvester is the Director of Canada's World- a national citizen's dialogue on Canadian international policy. She was also the co-founder of IMPACS- the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society, and has served on dozens of boards and committees at the local, national and international level. She has also written and edited several publications related to social and environmental issues and has provided policy advice to governments and foundations on subjects as varied as forestry, human rights, media, peace building and AIDS. Finally, Ms. Sylvester was recognized as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in the Globe and Mail.
What will Shauna Sylvester's message be?
She will push the students to realize that they are all connected with the rest of the world and to recognize that they have the power to change it. Students should come out of her session energized, motivated, realistic and equipped with the tools to start taking action as global citizens.
(F) Youth Action Time and the Youth Action Video
What is the Youth Action Video?
The Youth Action Video will showcase youth around the world doing great things to create change.
What is the Action Time?
The action time will be an opportunity for the students to take their first step into a major movement. Indeed, this action time will be a time for the schools of Newfoundland and Labrador to shine across Canada by launching a national campaign.
During the twenty minutes allotted to action on January 8th, a few students (pre-selected by school principals) will read a short message to the provincial and federal government.
After a few short speeches, all of the students gathered at each school will form a letter with their bodies and a picture will be taken of the letter formed by the students. These pictures will then be compiled into a message to send to the Prime Minister of Canada and the Premier of Newfoundland.
EWB will then challenge the students to continue to take action in the campaign and to come up with their own action items.