 From April 19-25 2008, 100 of the top youth leaders from around the world gathered in Florida to attend the inaugural Jane Goodall Institute Global Youth Summit: Protecting Our Future. The goal of the summit was to equip outstanding young people with strong leadership skills and provide them with an opportunity to explore how each individual can make a difference in protecting our planet. Participants were chosen based on their history of active community service, their ability to communicate ideas, and a demonstrated commitment to making their communities better for people, animals and the environment. JGI Canada selected five exceptional Canadian youth to participate. We caught up with one Canadian delegate, Julia Coburn, to discover what she's been up to since the Summit.
Roots & Shoots: What are your plans for the summer?
Julia: I'll be working as a research assistant for the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto. We'll be conducting the first comparative North American mega-plot project study, examining tree dynamics in a forest in Haliburton. The study will examine different tree species to discover, among other things, why certain trees grow in particular areas, what seed dispersal mechanisms are used, and how effective they are. This is the first time this type of study will be conducted in a temperate forest.
Roots & Shoots: And your long term plans?
Julia: I'm investigating graduate school opportunities in Environmental Studies with a focus on Conservation Biology and Education, to begin in fall 2009. This coming fall, I'll be working with local schools in Toronto to assist teachers in starting up Roots & Shoots groups with their students.
Roots & Shoots: What projects are you working on with other Summit delegates?
Julia: I've been working closely with other summit participants on two large initiatives – the Global Youth Council for Wildlife Conservation (GYCWC) and an innovative program focusing on Female Leadership (yet to be named).
The Female Leadership program will be driven by the goals and desires of the girls themselves.
The goals of the program will be to:
- Foster confidence in girls and young women to become leaders
- Provide a vehicle for them to do so through education
- Give them a voice to be heard
Our first campaign is raising funds to award 250 scholarships to young women currently living in the Lugufu refugee camp in Western Tanzania and surrounding communities. For $250.00 per year (including tuition, books, uniform, room and board), these 250 young women will have sufficient funding to attend secondary school in Tanzania.
Read more about the female leadership program as it develops, in future Roots & Shoots newsletters.
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