Engaging Students in the GLOBE Program, Czech Republic, 6th to 9th May 2010
GLOBE Games take place from 6th to 9th May in town Svitavy, in close cooperation with GLOBE school Zakladni skola Svitavy, Sokolovska and Town Svitavy. Two hundred students and teachers from 37 GLOBE schools in the Czech Republic and 65 students and teachers from Hungary, Poland, and the Slovak Republic participate in the 2010 Czech Republic GLOBE Games. GLOBE Games 2010 has three parts - a GLOBE Festival for the general public, a Student Conference, and Nature Game in the surrounding area of the Spring Svitava.
The national coordinator of the GLOBE Program in the Czech Republic is the TEREZA Association, a non-profit non-governmental organization that encourages and supports cooperation and active community participation in renewal and protection of a healthy environment, and thus contributes to the overall development of civic society.
Every year for the past 13 years, TEREZA has hosted the GLOBE Games in the Czech Republic, bringing together environmentally concerned students, teachers, scientists and special guests from the Czech Republic and neighbouring countries. The object of the GLOBE Games is to raise environmental awareness among GLOBE students through data collection and research, to initiate collaborations among schools throughout the region, to introduce participants to special environmental challenges involving many of the GLOBE protocols, and to encourage teambuilding as a vital part of the educational experience.
GLOBE Games have occurred annually since 1997, taking place each year in a different Czech city. This year, on 6th May 2010, students and teachers from many parts of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland met to celebrate the 13th annual GLOBE Games in Svitavy, Czech Republic. The GLOBE Games provide GLOBE students and teachers a special occasion in which to share their experiences and to introduce GLOBE to the general public in a festival-like setting.
Through the GLOBE Games, students and community members alike gain new inspiration, initiate school-to-school collaborations and just have fun. In doing so, they are motivated to engage in further GLOBE projects in the future!
GLOBE Games are organized a little differently each year, as they are constantly in development. GLOBE Games 2010 were organised by TEREZA Association in close cooperation with the Basic School Svitavy, Sokolovská and Town Svitavy. In total 162 students, 11 students-journalists, 8 students-guides and 49 teachers from 37 schools from all over the Czech Republic came to Svitavy on the 6th May, along with students and teachers from Poland, Hungary, Germany and Slovakia (about 65 students and 12 teachers).
On Friday 7th, the GLOBE Games participants assembled on the bank of the lake Rosnicka to begin the Nature Game. The teams explored activities in eight learning areas: Phenology, Pedology, Meteorology, Carbon Cycle, double Hydrology (near spring of Svitava and on the bank of the lake Rosnicka) and Adrenalin. Each team had special task – to explore one area in land cover, pedology or hydrology (what is it interesting in this area). Friday morning offered special activities for teachers as well (Pedagogical conference). These activities included: News in Program GLOBE, Ornithology and Forest Pedagogy.
Saturday 8th May was very exciting day. At the Student Conference in six classrooms, students presented their GLOBE projects and measurements. The topics focused on pedology as current annual topic, air quality and protection and GLOBE among branches. Students had received the criteria for evaluation in advance, which helped them to be well-prepared. All presentations were observed by three members of the review commission, who provided helpful feedback.
On Saturday afternoon, Festival GLOBE took place on the square in Svitavy. The Festival was opened by rolling a very large plastic balloon, the “Earth–ball," the symbol of the GLOBE Program in the Czech Republic. Ceremonial procession set out for the Park Jan Palach. There was a huge podium and nine stalls with GLOBE activities for the public put together by GLOBE students. There were many stalls of another organization from Svitavy too. An official closing ceremony was also part of the Festival.
During the entire event, students were working, engaged as journalists to report on the news and producing an on-the-spot GLOBE Games newspaper. Another group of students took care of foreign participants, showing hospitality as guides.
The cooperation among schools and the opportunity to come together year after year has had a unifying influence on students and teachers alike, and has greatly energized GLOBE Program implementation in the Czech Republic. The TEREZA Association wishes to thank to many companies and individuals who supported this special event: KPMG, UNILEVER, Visegrad Fund, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech GLOBE Veterans, Pardubice Region and Westvaco Svitavy s.r.o.
For more information see the www.globegames.cz (in Czech).
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