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28th Annual Conference in
Cincinnati, 1999
29th Annual Conference on South Padre Island, 2000
31st Annual Conference in Boston - August 6-10, 2002 |
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30th Annual Conference
Little Rock, 2001 |
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2001: An EE Odyssey:
Exploring Capacity, Community, Complexity, and Culture
Little Rock, Arkansas
October 11-15, 2001 |
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NAAEE
City of Little Rock Local Residents
Community Service Initiative
Little Rock, Arkansas
October 13, 2001 |
PARTIAL PARTNER LISTING (Draft)
(Most have confirmed and the list is still building)
- Arkansas Commission on National and Community Service
- Arkansas Food Bank
- Booker T. Washington Elementary
- Corporation for National Service
- 4-H Group, The Clover Kids from Jefferson County
- Foxy Radio 99.5
- Health and Human Services
- Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs
- Koi Group, The
- Mayor's Office: Community Enhancement Program
- North American Association for Environmental Education
- Power 92 Radio
- Pulaski Solid Waste Recycling Division
- Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
- Share America
- Stephens Elementary
- Texas Parks and Wildlife
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Office of Campus and Community Partnerships
- Watershed Human and Community Development Agency
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| The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. -- Ghandi |
| The Little Rock community service initiative is designed to provide an opportunity for environmental educators from across the country and over 40 plus countries; the prospect of meeting with and working side-by-side with community leaders, teachers, and environmental educators from the Little Rock community on "community" environmental issues. Oftentimes environmental educators discuss the difficulty in reaching underserved populations in their environmental education initiatives and continue to ask the question; "how do we get involved with local communities on environmental initiatives?" The Service Initiative is an excellent opportunity to participate in an initiative; demonstrating the ability to connect with community people around diverse environmental issues, that can be replicated in any city. The Community day begins with keynote speeches from John Flicker - Health of the Environment, President of National Audubon, and Dr. Jay Carrington Chunn, Public Health as the Nexus to Environmental Education, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Morgan State University. NAAEE volunteers will have the opportunity to interact and work along with community residents to make improvements in selected local Little Rock community neighborhoods immediately following the keynote speeches. |
| A community celebration [block party] immediately follows the service initiative where community leaders and residents will meet, share and relax with environmental educators from across the country in continued dialogue about the environment and community. A Fish Fry celebration will be held after the community celebration with food, music, entertainment, and continued opportunities for sharing and learning during dinner on Saturday evening. This is a tremendous opportunity to bring both local community people and environmental educators together to discuss potential gaps and successful approaches to environmental education initiatives. |
The Community Partners:
The mission of the Little Rock School District (LRSD) is to equip all students with the skills and knowledge to realize their aspirations, think critically and independently, learn continuously and face the future as productive contributing citizens. The mission is accomplished through open access to a diverse, innovative and challenging curriculum in a secure environment with a staff dedicated to excellence and empowered with trust and support of our community. The LRSD is the largest district in the state of Arkansas with about 25,000 students and more than 3,500 employees. |
| The Stephens Elementary School opened January 2001 and is located at 3700 West 18th Street, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Stephens Elementary currently has an enrollment of 385 students (Prek-5th). Stephens Elementary is an Extended Year School (a modified year round calendar), which starts the school year earlier, ends later, reduces the long summer break and includes frequent short breaks throughout the school year.Reading, language arts, math, science and social studies serve as the main educational components, with art, music, physical education and computer literacy rounding out the curriculum. |
| Stephens provides hands-on learning activities before school, after school and during intercessions. Programs include: Great Expectations Challenging literature, a positive caring environment and commitment to excellence; Lightspan increases time on task, enhances basic skills with technology and strengthens the home/school connection for learning. Stephens also has state-of-the-art technology: 6 computers in each classroom, 28 station computer lab, 28 station Lightspan/Sony lab, Distance Learning Lab, Cyber Time & Space Travel Theater with 28 laptop computers, Comparative City Studies Center, library media center and televisions in all classrooms. |
| In addition to a full-size gymnasium, several classes are offered such as dance and aerobics; there is new exercise equipment like Lifecycle exercise bikes and tread mills; there are Arts and Crafts classrooms offering various crafts such as ceramics (with a new kiln); there are board games, card games, ping pong, and billiards; a senior citizens program, and other outreach community services. However, one thing is missing. Given the technology, position in the community, and the number of partners and support from the Little Rock School District, the playground appears inadequate in providing children's need for a safe place to play outdoors during recreation and recess at the school. |
Booker T. Washington Basic Skills/Math/Science Interdistrict Magnet School
The school was named in honor of Booker T. Washington, a famous African-American man who, among his other accomplishments, founded Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1881. The original Booker T. Washington Elementary School was built in 1949 and served approximately 200 students per year until 1988. The original building was leveled for expansion and reconstruction. The current facility (27th & Main Streets, Little Rock) opened in August, 1989 as an incentive school. Booker T. Washington Incentive School became Booker T. Washington Basic Skills/Math/Science Interdistrict Magnet School for the 1990-1991 school year, serving students from all three Pulaski County school districts. Booker T. Washington continues their magnet program today, serving around 700 students, with the capacity to serve around 850 students. Programs include: Direct Instruction Reading Program, D.A.R.E., Young Astronauts, Annual Science Fair, Mike's Math club, 2 Math Labs, 2 Science Labs, Math Superstars, Computer Lab, Quiz Bowl, IBM Writing-to-Read Computer Lab, Star Lab Planetarium, Jr. Great Books, W.A.T.C.H. (Astronomy) Club. |
| One of Booker T's objectives is to develop four sites on their campus into urban habitat areas. One of the specific projects is the Schoolyard Habitat Improvement Program (SHIP). An active SHIP Committee is currently in place. They hold monthly Family Math / Science / Literacy workshops with students and their families. These habitat areas will be a valuable resource for these learning opportunities. Neighborhood community will also have access to these habitat areas. A Head Start pre-school program located on the school's campus. Local Girl and Boy Scout groups will also have access to the habitat sites. Two local church groups work closely with the school as Partners-In-Education, St. John's Baptist and Trinity Cathedral. |
| The greater Little Rock community will also have the opportunity to utilize this wonderful learning resource. This schoolyard habitat development project will also provide a great opportunity for teacher training and professional development. |
| Watershed Human and Community Development Agency fosters faith and hope in the future by helping people move from dependency to self-sufficiency. The agency offers help to those in need through emergency social support services, help in economic development, and education and training for long-term personal development. From it's beginning, Watershed has recognized that the health of the community in which people lived had a great impact on the health and well-being of the individuals and families in those communities. Many of the problems faced by the residents of a community are directly caused or influenced by community forces beyond an individual or single family's control. |
| Problems such as high unemployment, drug abuse, gang activity, crime, poor health care, inadequate health, education, health, fire, and other services all have a negative impact on the quality of life of families in that community. Watershed has continuously been at the forefront in trying to confront community problems such as drug abuse, crime, gangs, health needs, inadequate housing, high unemployment and other community issues. Watershed strives to be a catalyst for its community to bring together community residents with local, state, and federal resources to develop solutions to pressing community needs. |
| Watershed case workers and volunteers work with families in crisis to help them get through their current crisis, then help the family develop a plan that will enable them to improve their overall quality of life. In addition, the children and family services section of the Watershed provides basic supports to the poor, disabled, and elderly of our community. From elderly feeding programs to assistance with prescription drugs, from assistance in getting clothes and school supplies for children to helping a family obtain dental or health care, watershed Children and Family services is constantly seeking organizational partners, volunteers, and donations of goods, services, and money to help meet the overwhelming need of our families, the poor, the elderly, and the disabled. |
The Service Projects
Selected project locations currently include the Stephens Elementary School, Booker T. Washington Basic Skills/Math/Science Interdistrict Magnet School, and the Watershed Human and Community Development Agency: World's First Social Hospital. |
| Stephens Elementary - bring playground up to par for use by the students, filling in holes, removing gravel, etc. potentially help to install additional equipment; also do minor repairs and/or improvements in the immediate community including but not limited to: picking up trash, addressing neglected sidewalk areas, sodding and composting, additional services in the community and at the community center. |
Materials
- Weed eaters
- Dirt
- Sod
- Rakes
- Shovels
- Gloves
- Trash bags
- Potentially paint
- Hammers and nails
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| Booker T. Washington - The service initiative at Booker T is designed to help support this community project so as to strengthen the community ties, bring additional educational value using the environment as an integrating context, and to work side-by-side with environmental educators from across the world in a service initiative that helps to demonstrate the significance of "sense of place" as well as to create ownership among the community residents, schools, business and other human service and educational institutions as to the value of improving the quality of life through preserving our natural environments. |
| The project focuses specifically on work on school arboretum and improving the schoolyard habitat, constructing and installing an approximate 400 ft. split-railed fence, landscaping, playground upkeep, cleaning, planting trees, root balled, set up a potential recognition sign (conveying appreciation, welcome to community, value), potential rock garden. |
Materials
- Geological survey for rocks
- Forestry for burlap donation
- Fencing
- Pole diggers
- Wheelbarrows
- Cement
- Shovels
- Weed eaters
- Dirt
- Sod
- Rakes
- Hammers and nails
- Gloves
- Trash bags
- Potentially paint
- Paint brushes and painting supplies
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Watershed Human and Community Development Agency: World's First Social Hospital
A few projects are currently under exploration; a couple houses may be painted; using a parcel of land to set up a community garden, there are also has 16 acres of land where park benches could be built into a place that could become a community park for local and community residents to enjoy the peace of the natural environment; and there is always a need for cleaning and painting; and/or cleaning a couple houses up for senior citizens. In addition, one other idea is beginning to emerge in an effort to honor the number of people killed at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. |
| All happy families resemble one another; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Anna Karénina |
Materials
- Weed eaters
- Dirt
- Sod
- Rakes
- Shovels
- Gloves
- Trash bags
- Potentially paint
- Paint brushes and painting supplies
- Sod and potential fertilizer
- Wood for benches
- Materials for memorial
- Seeds to plant in community garden
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| Community Celebration - Appreciating Community (3:00 - 5:30 p.m.) |
Food (still looking for donations and contributions)
- Hot dogs
- Chicken
- Baked beans
- Corn on the cob
- Sodas, juices, water
- Chips (potato, tortilla, corn, etc.)
- Cookies, cake, pies
- Fruit (assorted oranges, apples, bananas, etc.)
- Cups, napkins, utensils
- Large grill (ideally one that can be towed in)
- Rolls/bread
- Condiments (mustard, catsup, salt, pepper, barbecue sauce)
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Potential Activities at Stephens between 10:30 and 5 p.m. (preferably 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.)
- Health and Human Services displays and information
- Hoop Fest
- Drug Prevention Groups
- Banks/Loan Education
- Doctors and Nurses - On site health checks (blood pressure, cholesterol, lead, diabetes, etc.)
- Storytelling
- Magic
- Face painting
- City/County police involvement
- Neighborhood Resource Center
- Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs Presentation
- 4-H Group the Clover Kids from Jefferson County
- Children's activities
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Little Rock Community Service Initiative- Challenge
A partnership among the Little Rock community, diverse groups, geographic regions, organizations and talent |
| Texas Parks and Wildlife has issued a challenge nationally to other agencies, environmental organizations, and associations to make sure that the representation of diverse peoples [and those who typically cannot afford to share in the cost of dinner with environmental educators] are represented for continued dialogue during dinner. The cost of the dinner (Fish Fry) is $12 and will be held at the River Market adjacent to the Convention Center on Saturday evening, October 13, 2001 from 7 p.m.- 8:30 pm. You and your organization are challenged to match in part or in full Texas Parks and Wildlife's commitment to fund 40 local participants attending the dinner and dialogue. The Koi Group has accepted this challenge and will match a portion of it funding 8 guests to the function. We challenge each of you to help. Please contact Emilio N. Williams if you have any questions regarding the event. There is still space at the Service Initiative as well. Several projects have been designed in three different communities to kick off the Service Initiative. We plan to bring the resources to the community and the community to the resources. You can replicate this initiative in your community, as it will be a day of enjoying culture and community. |
| The Little Rock community service initiative is designed to provide an opportunity for environmental educators from across the country as well as those who represent 40 plus countries the prospect of meeting with and working side-by-side with community leaders, teachers, and environmental educators from the Little Rock community on community environmental issues. Oftentimes environmental educators discuss the difficulty in reaching underserved populations in their environmental education initiatives. This is that opportunity. The day begins with keynote speeches from John Flicker, President of National Audubon, and Dr. Jay Carrington Chunn, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Morgan State University. Participants interacting and working along with community residents to make improvements in the local Little Rock community neighborhoods immediately follow it. |
| A community block party follows this immediately where community leaders and residents will meet with environmental educators from across the country in continued dialogue at a dinner on Saturday evening. This is a tremendous opportunity to bring both local community people and environmental educators together to discuss potential gaps and successful approaches to environmental education initiatives. We look forward to seeing you there. |
| We look forward to your support and your accepting any or part of the challenge (check, MC, Visa, Amex accepted). Please let us know how you will assist or participate. Plan for the culture of a community-filled day. |
Emilio N. Williams, President
The Koi Group
Service Initiative Coordinator
(301) 346-5715
ewilliams@koigroup.com |
Primary Contribution Contact: Barbara Spencer
NAAEE
410 Tarvin Road
Rock Spring, Georgia 30739
(706) 764-2708 |
Information on Past and Future Conferences:
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