Doors to Diplomacy Project ID: 6972

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Recycling
Category: 7. Health and the Environment
URL: http://www.wix.com/tscbethlehem/environment
Bibliography: http://www.wix.com/tscbethlehem/environment

School: Terra Sancta College for Boys
    Bethlehem, West Bank, West Bank/ occupied territories

4 students, ages 15-16 years old worked together to complete this Doors to Diplomacy project on February 13, 2012. They have participated in Doors to Diplomacy in the following year(s): 2012

Classes and Teachers: Mrs Marlen Rock & Mr. Michael Atick

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.tscbeth.com

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Team

We are four students who share the same interests towards healthy behaviors. We want to make a change in our community and promise to work hand in hand to raise awareness about how important recycling is. Our group consists of four students and two coaches. Mrs Marlen Rock, our English teacher, supports projects that can change people and she strongly believes that if we begin with the students, this small circle will surely affect others to outreach the whole community. She was there always for us to encourage and support us.

Mr Michael Atick, our English Teacher, likes to get involved in teenager issues that can make a difference in their lives. He has extensive knowledge of web design and Flash programs that has been available to answer our numerous questions. We thank him for his positive input in our project. Lucas, aged 16, is very interested in music and likes to compose and arrange songs. One of his dreams is to see Palestine living in a clean and healthy environment. Doing this project has helped him realize how much work we need to do on getting our country to be as beautiful and clean as it should be.

Elias, aged 16, is pretty much a dreamer but believes that some of his dreams would become true with determination. He likes editing stuff and making websites and also taking pictures and videos. His designs helped making this website. this Opportunity made him realize his abilities and was able to see the world in a different way: an Environmental way.

Joseph, 16 years old, is a guy who reaches for success in his life and has a lot of ambitions. He heard about this competition from his teacher. He loves nature and is ready for solving environmental issues. He has big imagination that's why his favourite hobby is drawing. George, 15 years old, He likes playing basketball and playing video games. He participated in this program because he is willing to see a change in his school and city. He also has passion to see people know more about recycling.

2. Summary of Our Project

Many countries around the world have taken steps towards saving their environment. We, in the occupied territories, are far behind. We felt that there is a need to highlight the importance of recycling in order to keep our environment clean and healthy. Our project is based on the idea that we need to save our modest resources beginning with our surrounding. We noticed how students during the school recess throw all litter in one garbage bin without classifying it, and realized that we can do something to save energy and help our community. We discussed this matter with our principal who immediately cooperated and launched a campaign to keep our environment healthy. We started by raising the students environmental awareness regarding recycling. We placed garbage containers for waste classification. Then we contacted the Ministry of Agriculture to decompose the organic food. We contacted other centers for paper recycling, and consulted our municipal council for metal and glass waste, we are determined to go ahead with our project because this is a need for our health and environment.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:none

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:none

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

We feel very fortunate to have Internet access throughout our school and in our homes. In School we have a computer lab in which we have sessions once a week for 45 minutes. We were determined to make our project a successful one, and this is why we learned how to create a web and design it. This is our first time to work on such a project.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

The problems we faced were not easy. One of the problems was behavioral. The students are not used to throwing litter in the intended garbage containers. They throw all sorts of waste in one garbage bin. We spoke with our health and environment teacher about this problem and worked on highlighting the importance of recycling, since it is the base for the remaining steps that would follow. The second problem was to get rid of the classified garbage.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

We determined to make our voice heard by all the school students and to encourage them to be involved in these revolutionary social habits. We did many activities to raise their awareness and raised the motto of ' recycle to make an environmental sense.'

6. How did your activities and research for this Doors to Diplomacy Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Because this was the first time that we work on such a project, it was an excellent opportunity to work in a group and share ideas. We developed knowledge about some of the offices and departments in our community that work on the environment, and we didn't know about before. We communicated what we have found with other students. We learnt that keeping our environment healthy and preserving our modest sources of energy is a responsibility for all. The whole school was involved with the designed activities, and thus this was one means of enlightening the students about the importance of recycling.

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Project Elements

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your Doors to Diplomacy project?

We used 3 computers at school and our 6 personal computers at home. We used digital cameras as well to take pictures for our playgrounds and the displayed signs in the whole school. We used adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver. The whole team kept in touch through the email and phone. We searched the net to see what others have made. Oral interviews were useful tools to collect data about the subject matter and feel the tendency of the community towards recycling.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your Doors to Diplomacy project both on-line and in person.

We began to be a model to other students. We started throwing rubbish in the designed containers, all students followed. We spoke to other schools about our initiative in recycling. We contacted the local departments to manage the waste that we couldn't manage at school. We did interviews with the responsible of the environment issues in the ministry of agriculture. There was a release about our project on online news network that encouraged everybody to follow our steps, visit our page. All these efforts highlighted the importance of recycling and emphasized that it is an on- going project for a life time which will make a great difference in our community.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

All the students have taken this problem seriously and we felt the great influence they have achieved on their parents and the whole community from the feedbacks and their changed attitude towards recycling and keeping a healthy environment. Many students were thrilled and joined us. They come to understand that we are brothers in humanity wherever we are. Actually we are a chain one tied to another if one falls down, we all do, and if one rises, we all do.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

This was not a concern for other schools, but we have the merit to have presented and certified the importance of recycling to our community. We are thankful to our principle Father Marwan Dede's for his encouragements to begin such a project at school also special thanks to all the teachers who assisted us to make this project successful. We must not forget our distinguished guests who offered help in any possible way. They were understanding, patient and helpful.

Some teacher in our school became a great model in being the first to classify litter in rubbish containers.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

This was a unique experience for us that made us understand the meaning of sharing the responsibility in order to save our environment. It made us believe that changing is possible especially seeing all students engaging in this educational project. We and others decided to make classifying waste and recycling, reusing it a lifestyle.

The Ministry of agriculture is launching a competition about environment Ecosystem and Recycling in June. We intend to share in this competition on behalf of the school by presenting our work in this project.

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