Click here to view our Picture GallerySalem, Oregon, USA (JGEMS)
For the past three days I have been working with the 6th-8th grade students at the Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School (JGEMS) in Salem, Oregon. And, I have had such a great time getting to know the 90+ students who attend JGEMS.
JGEMS is a small charter school within a larger public middle school called the Waldo School. The JGEMS students are committed to all subject areas, but focus particularly on environmental, humanitarian, and animal rights issues.
My first day at JGEMS was a blur. I flew into Portland early in the morning... seeing the sun rise over Mt. Hood and the city. As I stepped out of the airport, the cool, northern air hit me. Everything looked and felt like fall...unlike my recent trip to the Bay Area of California. I took a shuttle called the HUT Bus to Salem airport (1.5 hours away). The bus drove past pastures and forests of evergreen trees. All the trees and plants seem bigger here. I went straight from the Salem airport to JGEMS to speak to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades classes...one class right after another! In addition to listening to my explanation of the Project, the students watched a powerpoint presentation showing pictures from their sister-group in Bangalore, India. Each grade had tons of questions... but the most enthusiastic group was the 6th grade (they literally asked 15-20 minutes worth of questions!).
That night I went to my home-stay house... the house of the Weddles (both teachers at JGEMS). Their house is on a long street lined with tall trees. The first thing I noticed about the neighborhood was that all the houses looked different from one another (unlike much of America's "cookie-cutter" housing). It was refreshing to see such variety. Many houses were decorated for Halloween (a holiday when American children dress up in costumes and go door to door asking for treats/candy). I even saw a few jack-o-lantern pumpkins sitting on front door steps. The Weddles' house is only 5 minutes from JGEMS and throughout my stay I discovered that many of the students at JGEMS actually live in this same neighborhood.
During my second day at JGEMS (Thursday)I taught several groups of students how to use the website message-boards. As you can see by the Forum, they asked tons of questions of the Little Eco Friends in Bangalore, India! It was wonderful to see everyone so excited about the Project and communicating with their sister-school!
After school, I met with the JGEMS Leadership Group, a collections of 10-12 students who conduct service projects and participate in a number of other activities (their most recent project focuses on reducing energy-use within the school). The Leadership Group will act as the main organizers of One World Youth Project within JGEMS. After-school, the Leadership students drafted a declaration describing what it means to be their age, living in their community, going to their school. After much debate and the forming of a typing/proof-reading committee, the declaration was complete! They titled their document: "The Declaration of Interdependence". Soon their declaration (as well as the one created by the Northern Lights students) will be available for viewing on the One World Youth Project website.
Today (Friday) I was able to help several other groups of students learn how to use the message-boards as well as meet with a couple of teachers regarding the Project.
JGEMS students have been learning bicycle safety and riding techniques for the past few weeks and today was their "graduation" from the course...which involved a 4 mile bike ride! Throughout the day sweaty, red-faced, and wet (it was drizzling) students wearing bright orange and yellow vests came in and out of the room. Some seemed very happy and others looked exhausted. The room gradually took on a particular smell as the day progressed...haha.
One thing that I have learned about JGEMS over the past few days is the school's great commitment to applying knowledge. To paraphrase what Mr. Mike Weddle told me: "We want students to understand why they are learning something; we want to help them put their knowledge into use." Whether it is through outdoor field trips, the maintaining of eco-systems in the school courtyard, bicycling around Salem, or conducting animal studies in the field, JGEMS most definitely seems to be accomplishing this mission!! The students are even traveling all the way to Washington D.C. to present their animal research findings!
Tonight I was a tourist and went into down-town Salem. I took lots of pictures to share with the Little Eco Friends of Bangalore, India (the sister-group of JGEMS). It was very peaceful. But, I am too tired to write about Salem tonight.
To all the JGEMS students I met this past week: it was great to get to know each of you! I look forward to continuing to work on One World Youth Project with JGEMS! You all are awesome(seriously)!
Sincerely,
Jessica Rimington
Global Ambassador, One World Youth Project
JGEMS is a small charter school within a larger public middle school called the Waldo School. The JGEMS students are committed to all subject areas, but focus particularly on environmental, humanitarian, and animal rights issues.
My first day at JGEMS was a blur. I flew into Portland early in the morning... seeing the sun rise over Mt. Hood and the city. As I stepped out of the airport, the cool, northern air hit me. Everything looked and felt like fall...unlike my recent trip to the Bay Area of California. I took a shuttle called the HUT Bus to Salem airport (1.5 hours away). The bus drove past pastures and forests of evergreen trees. All the trees and plants seem bigger here. I went straight from the Salem airport to JGEMS to speak to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades classes...one class right after another! In addition to listening to my explanation of the Project, the students watched a powerpoint presentation showing pictures from their sister-group in Bangalore, India. Each grade had tons of questions... but the most enthusiastic group was the 6th grade (they literally asked 15-20 minutes worth of questions!).
That night I went to my home-stay house... the house of the Weddles (both teachers at JGEMS). Their house is on a long street lined with tall trees. The first thing I noticed about the neighborhood was that all the houses looked different from one another (unlike much of America's "cookie-cutter" housing). It was refreshing to see such variety. Many houses were decorated for Halloween (a holiday when American children dress up in costumes and go door to door asking for treats/candy). I even saw a few jack-o-lantern pumpkins sitting on front door steps. The Weddles' house is only 5 minutes from JGEMS and throughout my stay I discovered that many of the students at JGEMS actually live in this same neighborhood.
During my second day at JGEMS (Thursday)I taught several groups of students how to use the website message-boards. As you can see by the Forum, they asked tons of questions of the Little Eco Friends in Bangalore, India! It was wonderful to see everyone so excited about the Project and communicating with their sister-school!
After school, I met with the JGEMS Leadership Group, a collections of 10-12 students who conduct service projects and participate in a number of other activities (their most recent project focuses on reducing energy-use within the school). The Leadership Group will act as the main organizers of One World Youth Project within JGEMS. After-school, the Leadership students drafted a declaration describing what it means to be their age, living in their community, going to their school. After much debate and the forming of a typing/proof-reading committee, the declaration was complete! They titled their document: "The Declaration of Interdependence". Soon their declaration (as well as the one created by the Northern Lights students) will be available for viewing on the One World Youth Project website.
Today (Friday) I was able to help several other groups of students learn how to use the message-boards as well as meet with a couple of teachers regarding the Project.
JGEMS students have been learning bicycle safety and riding techniques for the past few weeks and today was their "graduation" from the course...which involved a 4 mile bike ride! Throughout the day sweaty, red-faced, and wet (it was drizzling) students wearing bright orange and yellow vests came in and out of the room. Some seemed very happy and others looked exhausted. The room gradually took on a particular smell as the day progressed...haha.
One thing that I have learned about JGEMS over the past few days is the school's great commitment to applying knowledge. To paraphrase what Mr. Mike Weddle told me: "We want students to understand why they are learning something; we want to help them put their knowledge into use." Whether it is through outdoor field trips, the maintaining of eco-systems in the school courtyard, bicycling around Salem, or conducting animal studies in the field, JGEMS most definitely seems to be accomplishing this mission!! The students are even traveling all the way to Washington D.C. to present their animal research findings!
Tonight I was a tourist and went into down-town Salem. I took lots of pictures to share with the Little Eco Friends of Bangalore, India (the sister-group of JGEMS). It was very peaceful. But, I am too tired to write about Salem tonight.
To all the JGEMS students I met this past week: it was great to get to know each of you! I look forward to continuing to work on One World Youth Project with JGEMS! You all are awesome(seriously)!
Sincerely,
Jessica Rimington
Global Ambassador, One World Youth Project
