June 5, 2010 – Waimea, Hawaii
Video produced using video elements courtesy Hawaii Preparatory Academy
High school students and teachers from the Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Colorado gathered at Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Waimea from June 1st to 4th for the Third Annual Student Congress on Sustainability 2010.
About 80 students participated in the free, four-day event hosted by HPA and The Kohala Center.
According to a media release, the mission of the Student Congress on Sustainability is to celebrate, inform, and cultivate student-driven environmental initiatives addressing local, national, and global issues. “By marshalling the enthusiasm, talent, and resourcefulness of young men and women,” the release says, “the Congress will be one means of facilitating widespread education and collaboration among high school students, serving to cultivate and shape habits of mind that will translate sustainable ideology into practice.”
This year’s Congress featured speakers Darren Kimura, chairman of the board of directors at Sopogy, Inc., Energy Industries Corporation, Energy Holdings, and Keahole Solar Power; Chris Bland, general legal counsel for Transfield; Dr. Lisa Pickell, research scientist at Cellana LLC; and Daniel Miller, who produced and filmed “Seeds of Hope.”
Students attended four workshops about a variety of sustainability topics ranging from hydrogen power, careers in sustainability, and natural farming with indigenous microorganisms, to vermicomposting, sustainable agriculture in Hawaii, compostable and biodegradeable products, water, and waste. Students were also introduced to the Footprint Futures curriculum and worked on energy audits and a project focused on reusing waste.
Delegates will took excursions beyond Waimea, as well. Students were able to visit ReefTeach at Kahalu’u Bay, Natural Energy Laboratories of Hawaii Authority Gateway, Keahole Solar Power, Cellana LLC, Friendly Aquaponics Farm, or Kawamata Farms—and participated in a service project that included beach and ocean clean up, assisting at the Ka’upulehu Dryland Forest, weeding at the Ka’upulehu Interpretive Center, and planting trees to offset their carbon footprint.
Shoot! Was there yesterday teaching a class. Didn’t hear anything about it, till now. Thanks for the coverage.
Dave, will you be covering the Greening American Education Conference on Maui. We’ve got a few Hawaii Island folks going over to Kauai to do some serious outreach and make change. Sure hope to see you there.
http://www.greenhawaiiconferences.com/Greening-American-Education.html
always with aloha