Students on Ice Blog

Are you looking to be involved with the upcoming COP 16?
The Red Cross Red Crescent is looking for ten volunteers from around the world to act as spokespersons on their behalf at the UNFCC COP 16. If you are a volunteer of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and want to advocate for positive action in response to climate change on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people, check you the website: http://www.ifrc.org/youth/climatechange/. Submissions are being accepted from July 15-September 15, 2010.

The Sierra Youth Coalition is looking for a new National Director! Are you an excellent candidate?

Check out http://www.syc-cjs.org/work-syc for more information.
Rolling Interviews begin July 19, 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/user/unitednations#p/a/0C3B9D6DB7792BA4/0/nYo2Pp0RE9o

Video Contest: Tell the World Leaders what YOU think about the Millennium Development Goals.

Contest Rules:
Only entries submitted via the YouTube platform will be eligible for consideration. To sign up for an account on YouTube, please visit http://www.youtube.com/create_account.
Video entries should be two (2) minutes in duration or less.
The contestant must be at least eighteen (18) years of age to enter the contest.
Video submissions should be original and unpublished work by the contestant.
The submitted video must address at least one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) listed in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. For more information about the MDGs, please visit http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals.
The submitted video should address one of the following challenges:

1. “Why are the Millennium Development Goals important to you and your family?”
2. “What is your community, city or country doing to achieve the Millennium Development Goals?”
3. “How can the international community better work together to achieve the Millennium Development Goals?”

Submitted videos must be recorded in English or French, or in any other language but with English or French subtitles.
Please see http://www.youtube.com/t/captions_about for simple instructions on how to create closed captioned subtitles for YouTube videos.
The nationality and age of the contestant must be clearly indicated in the YouTube user profile to be eligible for consideration.
Video submissions may not contain any offensive or inappropriate content, according to United Nations principles and practices, and must comply with YouTube’s general terms and conditions.
Current or former staff members, interns or retirees of the United Nations Organization, its Agencies, Funds or Programmes and any family and/or house-hold members of these staff members are not eligible for consideration in the contest.

Submissions will end on 23 August 2010 at 11:59 p.m. New York time. Any entry submitted after this time will not be accepted. Any video modified after the end of the contest will not be eligible.

The results will be announced in late September 2010 on the official Citizen Ambassadors website, on http://www.uncitizenambassadors.org and on the UN Channel on YouTube.

Please visit: http://www.uncitizenambassadors.org for more information on the Terms and Conditions, including the Selection Process.

Dear SOI alumni and friends,

I want to share with you a great new way to raise money for the Students on Ice Foundation that we’ve been working on.

Students on Ice Search is a search engine and toolbar powered by Google, Bing, Yahoo and Federated so you get the same search results you are used to, but now every search raises a few cents for the Students on Ice Foundation at no cost to you. All proceeds will go to supporting student scholarships and other great education and conservation projects at Students on Ice.

It’s really simple, secure, fun and completely free, so please give it a try. Also, the Students on Ice Search Page will be a communication tool to keep you updated on the latest news, announcements and opportunities in the Students on Ice Polar education world!! The toolbar that you will be prompted to download after you register contains easy to use buttons that allow you to access all of our Students on Ice content online as well as our partners and an up-to-date RSS feed with news and opportunities you’ll want to check out. Additionally the toolbar provides you with a search bar so you don’t have to navigate back to your homepage to help us raise money, you can do it right from the bar! You have to register for your searches to count so please don’t skip this important step!

To join or learn more just click on this link. Make this your new home page or search page and be sure to download the toolbar!!

http://studentsonice.good-click.com/Join.aspx?f=1&ref=21560

We at Students on Ice thank you for your continued support and taking the time to help us provide quality educational expeditions in the years to come!

In the expedition spirit,
Geoff

*We apologize to our Mac users, the toolbar is still in development
for the Mac OS, however you can still register and use the search page to help us out! We will inform you as soon as the toolbar is available.

If you have questions, contact Jason at media@studentsonice.com

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday June 14 2010 5:00 pm
Title: Member of Canadian Parks Council Youth Advisory Panel
Starting date: Mid-June 2010 End Date: Mid-September 2010
Commitment: 2 – 1 hour conference calls plus one to two hours each week to participate in various activities.
Compensation: Win prizes for participation, and gain hands on experience at a parks program near you.
Location: Nation Wide
To apply : Send completed application form along with a resume to Ilona Dougherty at info@apathyisboring.com. We thank everyone for applying, but only those selected will be contacted.

The Cause

Canada has a long tradition of establishing parks and protected areas, which has contributed to our global reputation as a good steward of our natural resources. Through the Canadian Parks Council, various national, provincial and territorial park agencies work together to ensure that Canadians can continue to be proud of our parks and protected areas, and their role in preserving our country’s natural capital. For more information on the Canadian Parks Council, visit http://www.parks-parcs.ca

Responsibilities
The Canadian Parks Council Youth Engagement Working Group is launching a national research project to discover and create the best ways to connect youth to Canada’s national, provincial, and territorial parks.

The Canadian Parks Council is looking for a diverse group of youth from across Canada to join the Youth Advisory Panel.

We are seeking youth with any level of experience with parks (including no experience) who are prepared to be active participants in dialogues about parks and youth programs.

Download the Application Form here

Applications are now open for the Canadian Youth Delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Meetings in Cancun, Mexico, taking place at the end of 2010 and for the leaders of the Canadian Youth Delegation Home Team. If you want to make a difference, learn about international climate policy, have a great time, build your capacity, work with a diverse group of youth from every province and territory in Canada, and support the international youth climate movement, then this opportunity is for you. Check out the applications below (available in French or English) for more information. Applications are due on 6:00 pm PDT, Friday June 11th, 2010.

Le processus de sélection pour la Délégation de la jeunesse canadienne à la Conférence des Nations Unies sur les Changements Climatiques à Cancun, Mexique, est maintenant ouvert à tous. De même, les formulaires de candidature pour l?équipe à domicile de la Délégation sont disponibles. Si tu as envie de faire une différence, d?apprendre sur les politiques climatiques internationales, de t?amuser, de travailler avec des jeunes de toutes les provinces et territoires afin de contribuer au mouvement international de la jeunesse sur le climat, alors cette opportunité est pour toi ! Consulte les formulaires d?application ci-joints pour plus de détails. La date limite de dépôt des candidatures est le 11 juin 2010, 18h heure du Pacifique.

CYD-Cancun New Member Application (English) (Anglais)

CYD-Cancun New Member Application (French) (Français)

CYD-Cancun Returning Member Application (English) (Anglais)

CYD-Cancun Returning Member Application (French) (Français)

CYD-Home Team Leader Application (English) (Anglais)

CYD-Home Team Leader Application (French) (Français)

Photo by World Harmony Run

Geoff Green, founder & executive director of Students on Ice and Ray Zahab, founder & expeditions director of impossible2Possible, became recipients of the World Harmony Torch Bearer Award on Tuesday May 25, 2010.

The award which recognizes the significant contributions and service of individuals to their community was presented to the two Chelsea, Quebec residents by the Hon. Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons in a formal ceremony that took place on Parliament Hill on Tuesday. In attendance were members of the diplomatic community from over 30 countries, Members of Parliament and Senators.

Established in 1987, the World Harmony Run is a global torch relay that works to promote international friendship and understanding. A symbol of harmony, runners carry a flaming torch that is passed from hand to hand as it travels around the world. Since the Run’s inception, it has visited over 140 countries including Canada.

Geoff Green has led over 100 expeditions to the Polar Regions. In 1999 he founded Students on Ice, a pioneering program taking students on educational expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic inspiring youth with a greater respect and understanding of our planet’s ecosystem. He has now taken over 1300 students from over 40 countries to both the Poles. He has received Special Congressional Recognition from the United States Congress for his work with youth and the environment; was named one of Canada’s “Top 40 under 40”; and received the Citation of Merit for outstanding feats of exploration and service by the prestigious Explorers Club in New York City. Geoff and his students carried the World Harmony Torch on their 2005 Arctic Expedition that visited Iceland, Greenland and Baffin Island, and later this year they will carry the torch to Antarctica.

Ray Zahab began to train for ultramarathons in 2004 and soon began winning some of the world’s most difficult and challenging long-distance foot races. In 2007, he and two others ran 7500 km across the Sahara Desert to raise awareness for clean-water initiatives in Africa. In 2008, Ray founded impossible2Possible, which works to educate and inspire youth through adventure and expeditions. Ray’s many adventures and accomplishments include making history in 2009 as the first person to trek to the South Pole solely on foot.

Tuesday’s award ceremony recognized Geoff and Ray’s dedication to youth, education, and world harmony. Other notable recipients of the Torch Bearer’s Award include the late Pope John Paul II, Carl Lewis, Nelson Mandela, and Mikhail Gorbachev.

For more information please contact:

Geoff Green

geoff@studentsonice.com

819-827-3300

www.geoffgreen.ca

www.studentsonice.com

Ray Zahab

rzahab@impossible2possible.com

613-868-2888

www.rayzahab.com

www.impossible2possible.com

WED News

Goodwill Ambassadors lend their support!
We are pleased to announce the upcoming Goodwill Ambassador designation of American actor and humanitarian, Don Cheadle. This designation will take place in Rwanda on WED and will be especially meaningful given his personal ties to the country from his starring role in Hotel Rwanda, 2004.

Rwanda gives WED participants two baby gorillas to name!
The ceremony of giving a name to a newborn human baby, commonly known as Kwita Izina, has been a Rwandan tradition for centuries. Three decades ago, the Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks, and the people of Rwanda, decided to extend this ceremony to include the cherished gorillas of their country which make up 1/3 of the total gorilla population on the planet. The names attributed to these animals play a key role in the monitoring program of individuals and groups in the habitat. The naming ceremony, which was launched as a public outreach campaign in 2005, is aimed at ensuring the future of Rwanda’s mountain gorillas and bringing awareness to the plight of all gorillas and their habitats.

Join us in celebrating World Environment Day. Every year. Everywhere. Everyone.

Register your activity and Take A Stand for the Gorillas – we’ll donate USD$10 to gorilla conservation and protection for every registered activity

Watch Gisele Bundchen and a host of other people bring the WED message to life in our new public service announcement

Help name a baby gorilla – Imagine your name sake running through the jungles of Rwanda!

Promo Video:

WED2010

Photo by the National Capital Commission of Canada

Hey SOI Alumni!
The National Capital Commission is calling on your passion for the environment, your innovation and your creativity in an effort to make Ottawa’s Canada Day celebration carbon neutral! Check out the NCC’s message below for more information and to get involved.
Act quickly because the deadline is coming up soon!

“Our official colours may be red and white, but this Canada Day things are going green! The National Capital Commission and TakingItGlobal want to know how you would make Canada Day in the Capital carbon neutral. Contribute your ideas to http://www.tigurl.org/canadaday before May 28th and you could win a Carbon Neutral Canada Day Prize pack, plus your ideas could actually be implemented in Ottawa this July!”

From the National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC):

“We are looking for writers, photographers, artists, and creative thinkers for a new National Inuit Youth Website.”

Deadline for Submissions:

To volunteer or submit an article idea, please send your name and contact information as well as a paragraph describing your idea to Shelly Watkins at watkins@itk.ca before June 1st, 2010.

Calling all artists!

NIYC is also seeking a new logo. The image should reflect NIYC’s focus on youth and should be simple and visually striking at even a small size.

Current Logo:

For more information or to contribute ideas, please contact:

Shelly Watkins, Youth Project Coordinator

Phone: 613/238-8181, 866/262-8181

Fax: 613/234-1991

There are 50,000 Inuit in Canada are – and 54% of them are under 30. Yet, as a group these youth go largely unrepresented and are rarely given the opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns and ideas. The National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC), with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), is responding to this by creating a magazine that will be youth-focused and, more importantly, youth-driven.

View the .pdf version: NIYC Website and Magazine Info Flyer

NIYC also has a new website!  Check it out here: www.niyc.ca