How the Challenge Will Be Conducted
1) Each of the six participating schools will be required to participate in all three (3) pre-scheduled 90-minute videoconferences. Empower Peace will work in conjunction with all participating schools to choose dates and times that work for each school.
2) Prior to Videoconference #1, each school's team members be been selected. Each school will also submit a list of the top three environmental issues that they are most interested in addressing through the GIA program. Empower Peace will then pair each school with their partner school based upon a common issue that they share.
3) The first videoconference will take place on November 30, 2010 at 8:00AM EST, the second in January 2011, and the third and final videoconference in April 2011.
4) Empower Peace will announce the co-school teams and their environmental issue during Videoconference #1.
5) Videoconference #1 will involve all six school introducing their school members as well as making a brief presentation on the top three environmental issues facing their communities and countries, explaining the local siginficance of each issue. Each presentation should be no more than seven (7) minutes. Presentations will be scored on a scale of 1 to 10 by our three judges.
For additional information about Videoconference #1, please click here.
6) After Videoconference #1, teams should select their two team co-captains from each school, begin creating their joint Facebook page, and become acquainted with each other through Facebook, Skype, email or other means of communication.
7) During Videoconference #2, teams will make a 10 (ten) minute action plan presentation regarding their specific environmental issue and will respond to questions from the judges about their proposed action plan. The teams will receive their next round of scores based upon their planned service learning activity presentation and the level of collaboration between partner schools.
For additional information about Videoconference #2, please click here.
8) Videoconference #3 will determine the grand prize winners. Teams will be expected to present the outcomes of their service-learning activities, providing a description of their project, summary of what they learned, and pictures documenting their service activity. Each team should also be prepared to discuss how they conducted their outreach, who was involved in the community service project, and any press it received.
Factors that will determine the scoring include:
9) All three (3) videoconferences will be webcast worldwide to interested students and classrooms in the hopes of reaching a wider audience and generating increased participation for next years' challenge. Our program partner, University of the Middle East Project will help promote the webcasts to their partner schools throughout the world.
10) The cultural exchange component of the challenge will include selected representatives from the winning schools traveling overseas with a teacher chaperone for a set period of time (TBD). Representatives from the American half of the winning team will have the opportunity to visit their teammates abroad and representatives from the MENA portion of the team will have the chance to visit their teammates in the United States. They will stay with pre-screened host families from their teammates' school, receive a cultural tour of their host country and participate in environmentally minded service-learning activities.
1) Each of the six participating schools will be required to participate in all three (3) pre-scheduled 90-minute videoconferences. Empower Peace will work in conjunction with all participating schools to choose dates and times that work for each school.
2) Prior to Videoconference #1, each school's team members be been selected. Each school will also submit a list of the top three environmental issues that they are most interested in addressing through the GIA program. Empower Peace will then pair each school with their partner school based upon a common issue that they share.
3) The first videoconference will take place on November 30, 2010 at 8:00AM EST, the second in January 2011, and the third and final videoconference in April 2011.
4) Empower Peace will announce the co-school teams and their environmental issue during Videoconference #1.
5) Videoconference #1 will involve all six school introducing their school members as well as making a brief presentation on the top three environmental issues facing their communities and countries, explaining the local siginficance of each issue. Each presentation should be no more than seven (7) minutes. Presentations will be scored on a scale of 1 to 10 by our three judges.
For additional information about Videoconference #1, please click here.
6) After Videoconference #1, teams should select their two team co-captains from each school, begin creating their joint Facebook page, and become acquainted with each other through Facebook, Skype, email or other means of communication.
7) During Videoconference #2, teams will make a 10 (ten) minute action plan presentation regarding their specific environmental issue and will respond to questions from the judges about their proposed action plan. The teams will receive their next round of scores based upon their planned service learning activity presentation and the level of collaboration between partner schools.
For additional information about Videoconference #2, please click here.
8) Videoconference #3 will determine the grand prize winners. Teams will be expected to present the outcomes of their service-learning activities, providing a description of their project, summary of what they learned, and pictures documenting their service activity. Each team should also be prepared to discuss how they conducted their outreach, who was involved in the community service project, and any press it received.
Factors that will determine the scoring include:
- Overall success of the activity (based upon impact on both environmental issue and community involvement)
- Degree of collaboration with partner school
- Successful implementation of outreach plan
- Number of participants in service-learning activity
- Number of fans on Facebook page
- Overall Facebook design, content and information
- Before and after pictures from the activity
- Testimonials
- Media coverage
- Presentation to the panel of judges
9) All three (3) videoconferences will be webcast worldwide to interested students and classrooms in the hopes of reaching a wider audience and generating increased participation for next years' challenge. Our program partner, University of the Middle East Project will help promote the webcasts to their partner schools throughout the world.
10) The cultural exchange component of the challenge will include selected representatives from the winning schools traveling overseas with a teacher chaperone for a set period of time (TBD). Representatives from the American half of the winning team will have the opportunity to visit their teammates abroad and representatives from the MENA portion of the team will have the chance to visit their teammates in the United States. They will stay with pre-screened host families from their teammates' school, receive a cultural tour of their host country and participate in environmentally minded service-learning activities.