The Czech Republic celebrates GLOBE through GLOBE Games

This week’s blog post is written in coordination between Jessica Mackaro and Dana Votapkova, former Country Coordinator for the Czech Republic. Ms. Votapkova is the project manager and GLOBE consultant for the TEREZA Association, a non-governmental organization for environmental education in the Czech Republic and is a regional help desk officer for the Europe and Eurasia region.

The idea of GLOBE Games was introduced at the 1997 GLOBE Learning Expedition (GLE), in Helsinki, Finland.  GLEs are student research conferences held every few years to provide GLOBE students the opportunity to present their research projects to their peers.  GLOBE Games is a three or four daylong meeting of students and teachers from GLOBE schools.  They attend in order to present their project at the students’ conference, receive news about GLOBE, share their experiences, develop new relationships, and have fun.  School delegations typically consist of four students and one or two teachers.

After its first year, GLOBE Games was restructured to include additional program components that would be of interest to both teachers and students attending the event.   These components include:

• Student’s Conference. Similar to the Student Research Exhibition, which is held during the GLOBE Annual Meeting, student projects are evaluated on predetermined criteria by a committee and then the research is presented to their peers.

Students present their research during the 2013 GLOBE Games. Photo courtesy of TEREZA Association.

• Teacher’s conference. Teachers attend a conference during which they learn new protocols or learning activities. They also share experiences on using GLOBE in the classroom and discuss plans for future collaboration.
• Public festival.  Students present activities to visiting public as well as students and teachers from other GLOBE schools on what they are doing with GLOBE at their school.  Students are given the opportunity to showcase their GLOBE projects and introduce cultural programs unique to the Czech Republic to the local community, and features rolling the inflatable globe through the streets of the town.

Students prepare for the public festival at the 2013 GLOBE Games. Photo courtesy of TEREZA Association.

Students at the 2013 GLOBE Games roll the inflatable globe through the streets of Litvinov, Czech Republic. Photo courtesy of TEREZA Association

• Local research. Students form mixed teams and collect data using select GLOBE protocols at various study sites, teaching them of the importance of collecting accurate data for research as well as team building.

Students perform research during the 2013 GLOBE Games. Photo courtesy of TEREZA Association.

• GLOBE Games newsletter.  Students take on the role of journalist and create a special newsletter featuring interviews and articles from the GLOBE Games event.
• Additional activities.  A selected GLOBE school organizes supplementary events, such as sporting activities or cinema productions, in which attending students and teachers can participate.

Students perform a theatrical production during the 2013 GLOBE Games. Photo courtesy of TEREZA Association.

The TEREZA Association, a non-profit and non-government organization that encourages and supports cooperation and active community participation in renewal and protection of a healthy environment.  TEREZA has hosted GLOBE Games in the Czech Republic for 16 consecutive years.  While GLOBE Games is held in the Czech Republic, schools from other countries are always welcome to participate.  There are on average 300 students and teachers from approximately 40 Czech schools with an additional 30 to 50 students and teachers from different GLOBE countries participating each year.

GLOBE Games has been a welcome addition to the GLOBE Program in the Czech Republic because of the cooperation between and among schools on research projects and the opportunity for schools to meet once a year.  GLOBE Games not only allows students the opportunity to practice GLOBE protocols and present the results of their projects, but also to see old friends and make new ones, to have fun and to promote both national and international cooperation.

Suggested activity: Have you ever attended a GLOBE Games?  Or have you been involved in something similar showcasing GLOBE in your area?  We would love to hear about your experience!  Send us an email at science@globe.gov, leave us a comment or share your story on our Facebook Page!