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Teams and Project Updates
There are six schools participating in the GIA 2010 Challenge: three (3) schools from the United States and three (3) schools from the Middle East/North Africa (MENA). Each American school will be partnered with a school from Egypt, Jordan or Israel.

The three schools from the United States are the Beaver Country Day School from Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; McDowell High School from Erie, Pennsylvania; and South Royalton School from South Royalton, Vermont.

The three international schools participating are the Sadat City Languages School from Sadat City, Egypt; Shevah Mofet High School in Tel Aviv, Israel; and Modern Montessori School in Amman, Jordan.

To read more about our participating schools, please click the links above.

GIA Midterm Update - January 20, 2011


Each of our three GIA teams have submitted a midterm update. To read their updates, please click on the link below.

The Life Savers

  • McDowell High School - Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
  • Modern Montessori School - Amman Jordan

H2O and You
  • South Royalton School - South Royalton, Vermont, U.S.
  • Shevah Mofet High School - Tel Aviv, Israel

The Waste Busters
  • Beaver Country Day School - Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.
  • Sadat City Languages School - Sadat City, Egypt

"The Life Savers"

McDowell Senior High School - Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Modern Montessori School - Amman, Jordan

  • Facebook Page Statistics: 137 "Likes;" one photo album and three videos/interviews posted; one news article featuring McDowell High School's GIA team.

McDowell High School Update:
  • Key Issue: Wildlife conservation through protecting lands crucial to migratory species.
  • GIA team featured in a local newspaper article
  • TV segment on the district's channel
  • Interviews with 4 major officials from Asbury Woods, Audubon Sociey, and Tom Ridge Environmental center (many posterd to the Facebook page)
  • Facebook page up and running, since before the first video conference - videos posted along with regular updates
  • Skype calls with Modern Montessori School in Amman: every other Tuesday from this point forward

Project Update:
Erie is home to several crucial conservation areas for migratory birds. The Erie team is working to educated the public about the importance of portecting these areas and will work with local nonprofits to engage the community in visiting and cleaning these areas as a means of wildlife conservation. Steps taking thus far include:
- Education
  • Elementary schools
  • Kits for backyard conservation
- Fundraising
  • For the community day
  • To donate to the cause
- Community Clean-up day
  • March 19, April 2, or April 9
  • At Presque Isle, the main congregation point will be at the Rotary Pavilion
  • Three main areas of conservation:
  • Air
  • Land
  • Water
  • Each have a clean-up station and various activities and agames that educate participants and help conserve wildlife
  • Involvement of Asbury Woods, Tom Ridge Environmental Center, andd Audubon Society

Modern Montessori School Update:
  • Key Issue: Wildlife preservation through raising awareness about the constant threat of extinction of various animal species in Jordan, especially marine life living withing the threatened reef of Jordan's coast.

Jordanian students divided themselves into four groups:

Group 1: they are in charge of calling, scheduling, and meeting with 3 personnel in the government to ask them about our problem and interview them.

Group 2: is responsible for collecting donaitons and bake sales to make money that will help in printing posters and distribute them. The funds will also be used to purchase recycling bins and fund their animal extinction club.

Group 3: is responsible for raising awareness among students in elementary school and management of the extinction club for younger students: a club that will help young ones develop a deeper understanding of the necessity to protect and foster wildlife and will hopefully engage them in the Montessori team project.

Group 4: is responsible for writing letters to people whop can change laws and make a difference in upholding and establishing laws regarding the pollution of animal habitats, hunting, and scuba diving practices that are ruining Jordan's world renowned coral reefs. This group is also responsible for outreach to groups who practice hunting, scuba diving and other harmful practices and educating them about how their behaviors negatively impact wildlife in Jordan.

The Erie and Jordan teams are working in partnership on the following:
1. Clean-up campaigns in areas affecting wildlife
2. Interview with a local magazine to educate them about GIA and the team's project and efforts in the program
3. Community outreach through gathering fans for the Facebook page
4. A community recycling program

"H2O and You"

South Royalton School - South Royalton, Vermont, U.S.
Shevah Mofet High School - Tel Aviv, Israel

  • Facebook Page Statistics: 86 "Likes;" 2 photo albums

South Royalton School:

Key Issue: Combating industrial pollution of water sources in South Royalton area through planting "buffer zones" and instituting a community outreach campaign to encourage community members to participate.

Students have met with the following environmental professionals:
  • Mary Russ - Member of the White River Partnership. Russ gave a presentation on the three major issues affecting the watershed at this time. She spoke about water contamination/pollution, invasive algae and plant species as well as using water insects to measure the pollution levels in the water.
  • Evan Ellerson - Science teacher. He was involved in the planting of a riparian buffer zone in the South Royalton area some years back and gave students insight as to where they planted and why the clippings failed.
  • Rose Kent - Biology teacher. She spoke about various methods involved in removing pollution from the water. She steered them in the direction of Riparian water buffers, which removes pollutants before they reach the river.

Other planned presentations for Tuesday morning meetings:
  • Jenna Guarino - a local watershed educator who has worked with citizen groups and school groups to set up water monitoring programs internationally. Provided Internet leads for resources.
  • Nate Clevland - Town Administrator who can provide information per storm drains and waste water systems.

Other contacts students made/are making:
  • Historical Perspectives (UVM Landscape Project, Elizabeth Faery - town records of former garbage dump, now Carpenter Field (by river), and John Dumville - historic photos
  • Arbor Day Foundation, VT Natural Resources, Vermont's River Gravel Extraction Policy.
  • Engineering Ventures, Inc., per engineering design of water flow and reservoir system at AVA Gallerty and Art Center and CRREL per research via factory-scale river models.

Project ideas include:
  • Idea 1: Locate and plant an area where pollution often runs into the river near the school and town. Encourage others to participate in 'buffer zone' planting in their areas. The trees will not only remove many of the excessive nutrients, they can also protect the bank from erosion into the river.
  • Idea 2: Research where the manhole (storm drains) runoff for towns goes. If, as they believe it does, it goes into the river, they want to raise awareness so people think twice before dumping thoughtlessly.
  • Other ideas which were discussed but determined that one of the above may be better achieved and were more on target to goals: pubic relations campaigns to slow the spread of invasive species and pollution; in-water filter systems (discovered riparian buffer zones accomplish this); educating water-tubers who float down various rivers in the summer; educate farmers (already being worked on by others); water monitoring of macroinvertebrates (indicator of water quality) or water testing - but determined that this is harder to educate others about.

Shevah Mofet High School:

  • Key Issue: Water pollution, specifically of the Yarkon River - a very important source of drinking water for the Tel Aviv community.
  • Have had multiple Skype meetings with South Royalton students and decided together what to research
  • Met with two experts in water - a biology and a chemistry teacher - and decided to concentrate their work on the Yarkon River, a very important river in Israel that crosses Tel Aviv before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. It is very polluted, which has caused multiple disasters to occur in the community as a result.
  • The students are conducting an experiment with the water from different points in the river and tap water.
  • After the initial research, the team plans to propose workable solutions to the pollution crisis and raise community awareness of the issue.

"The Waste Busters"

Beaver Country Day School - Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.
Sadat City Languages School - Sadat City, Egypt

  • Facebook Page Statistics: 102 "Likes;" 2 photo albums

Beaver Country Day School:

Key Issue: Research and creation of a composting system for Beaver Country Day School and community outreach regarding how composting systems can be constructed and why they are important to waste reduction.
  • Recently they met with Tedd Saunders, from Eco-Logical Solutions - a corporation that works with hotels to reduce waste and improve energy use. Through this, the Beaver team learned how small changes can make a big impact.
  • Also met with Stephen Messinger who was involved in the Solar Power Decathlon in Washington, DC where he helped construct an innovative green home. Students asked for advice on how to construct composting campaign. Messinger reportedly shared wonderful ideas.
  • Met with Kevin, the head of the Beaver Country Day School's food company, Sage, about installing a compost system.
  • Beaver students also met with the following organizations: Lupine Design (helping Beaver students design their composting system), The Lennox Hotel (ecological waste disposal), Leaders in Sanitation of Brookline (responsible for recycling projects in Beaver's city).
  • Have instituted "Daily Environmental Helpers" such as "Make a Change Monday," "No Tray Tuesday," "Water Bottle Wednesday," etc.

Sadat City Languages School:

Key Issue: Study and development of better and more accountable waste management system for Egyptian biohazard waste from hospitals.
  • First Skype conference call with Beaver Country Day School on December 16, 2010.
  • To gain a better understanding of waste management in Egypt, students initiated contact with local businesses using their parents' networks to visit factories in the city to learn how they manage their waste.
  • Students are looking into developing an advocacy group for better waste management, especially in hospitals where they are discovering there is a lot of danger posed by the lack of awareness of procedures in disposing of medical/biohazard wastes and no system accountability.