Who:
Southwest Florida Water Management District staff, educators and approximately 500 students from Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas counties
What:
6th Annual Youth Summit
The summit brings together the youth, educators and community partners who have been involved in Earth Force programs during the past year. It is a day of education and celebration.
The students will have the opportunity to share their environmentally oriented projects with students from other schools. They will also rotate through three hands-on educational activities before the closing ceremony.
When:
Wednesday, April 12, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where:
Al Lopez Park, Tampa
Why:
The goal of the summit is to celebrate the work the students have done on Earth Force projects during the past year and to share knowledge with other students.
District Contact:
Raina O’Neil, 800-423-1476, 4774 or 352-279-3477 (cell)
Directions:
Just North of Raymond James Stadium at 4810 N. Himes Ave.
6th Annual Youth Summit Fact Sheet
Summit Agenda
10 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Project Story Sharing
10:35 a.m. 11:45 a.m. Environmental education experience, students rotate through three agency-sponsored stations.
11:50 a.m. 12:05 p.m. Circle Cheer and Closing Ceremony featuring Tampa Mayor, Pam Iorio
12:05 p.m. 12:30 p.m. Lunch and exploration of park
The summit is sponsored by Suncoast Earth Force, a Tampa Bay-area nonprofit educational organization.
Suncoast Earth Force receives support from the District through cooperative funding from the District’s Alafia River, Coastal Rivers, Hillsborough River, Northwest Hillsborough and Pinellas-Anclote River basin boards for the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) program. GREEN enables students and teachers to learn about local watershed issues, teaches them to access watershed information and informs them about the public policies and practices that affect these issues. After studying these issues, students identify and implement solutions that benefit the watershed.
The GREEN program involved 21 educators and 525 students during fiscal year 2005.
Participating schools include Hillsborough County: J.S. Robinson Elementary, Lawton Chiles Elementary, Lutz Elementary, Northwest Elementary, Seffner Elementary, Valrico Elementary and Wimauma Elementary, Franklin Middle, Learning Gate Community School, Nelson Elementary, Rampello Downtown Partnership, Shields Middle, Stewart Middle Magnet, Terrace Community Middle School, Cypress Creek Elementary, Family of Christ Christian School, Incarnation Catholic; Pinellas County: Dunedin Elementary, Azalea Elementary, Bay Point Elementary, John Hopkins Middle R Club, Fairmount Park Elementary R Club, Admiral Farragut Academy, Transfiguration Catholic; Pasco County: Sanders Memorial Elementary, Seven Springs Middle, Sunset Hills Elementary, St. Anthony Interparochial Catholic; Manatee County: Louise R. Johnson Middle
Two examples of the types of projects highlighted are a model watershed created by the Cypress Creek Elementary School, “Earthsteins,” and a mentoring program created by the J.S. Robinson Elementary Water Helpers. The program involves 5th-grade students reading watershed-related books and using animal puppets to teach 1st-graders.
For more information about the District’s youth education outreach, please call the District at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4774.