Dear Earth Day Supporter,

We have our rescheduled February meeting for this Tuesday, February 25th at 5:30 pm at the Church of the Covenant.  We will be discussing and making decisions on a number of topics, including:

• Fund Raising Goals:  
  • Where we are and where we need to be.
  • What kind of business donations to accept
  • We still need people who will start a fundraiser with us or make direct donations.  You can do this here. 
• Finalizing the program. 
• The Local Environmental Conference:  On Saturday, March 7th, we have a table and one free entrance to the Local Environmental Action conference.  Please email earthday2020boston@gmail.com if you would like to go and help us on that day.
• Location – our permit for the Hatch Shell was denied, but we now have a space at the English High School in Jamaica Plain.  This has some advantages including being close to communities we hope to engage.

60 Minutes had a good story on the bushfires in Australia, where the Conservative former Prime Minister states “The right wing climate deniers treat an issue of science and physics and fact as though it was a question of ideology, and their conduct is not just idiotic,” Turnbull said. “It is downright dangerous. Dangerous for us here in Australia and around the world.” 

Check out this inspiring video and the invitation to educators below that helps support the work of young people.

I hope to see you Tuesday!

Sincerely,

Michael

Dear Colleague,

It is my pleasure to invite you to a new educational opportunity called YouthInFront: Understanding and Supporting Student-Led Activism, a free online learning offering to help educators support youth activism. You are among a special cohort of educators whom we believe would be interested in this opportunity, and have valuable feedback to offer.

If you’re interested in this free online learning offering, click here and answer a brief survey. 

We begin this endeavor on March 4, 2020, with an offering of the pilot Unit 1: Normalizing Student Activism. In this unit, we consider the history and importance of student activism, the rights of students as civic actors, and first steps in supporting youth civic leadership. The pilot is three weeks in length, self-paced, and offered on the CatCat platform. We estimate the amount of effort to be 2-3 hours per week, in addition to the completion of a final assignment. We are pleased to offer a stipend of $75 for those who participate in this pilot fully (completing all videos, readings, discussion, and activities) and complete a feedback survey and/or interview. 

The course is led by Meira Levinson from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Justin Reich from MIT’s Teaching Systems Lab, and Doug Pietrzak from FreshCognate LLC, with contributions from youth leaders, adult allies, and other experts who care deeply about youth activism. The project builds upon an online educational resource called YouthInFront.org, which was developed by volunteer youth and educators to support youth activism following the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida. 

Through documentary cases about youth activism, activities and exercises you can do in your own context, readings and resources, and a supportive online community, you will broaden your understanding of youth activism and learn and practice strategies for supporting youth. 

Thanks in advance for considering this exciting way to learn and engage with fellow educators. Your participation and feedback in this pilot will be invaluable as we continue to build the full course this spring. I hope many of you join us! 

— 

Justin Reich (he/him)

Mitsui Career Development Professor, MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing

Director, MIT Teaching Systems Lab

Google Scholar | @bjfr | 978-831-3046