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Youth Application / Organization Application


2002 State of the Environment Report, a Youth Perspective

Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson honoring the iNetNews Team returning from Africa Youth Mission (May 2000).

Report on how your community is working to reduce green house gas emmissions.

CHANGE

From April 18-23, 2002, coinciding with Earth Day, the SolarQuest iNetNews Service will sponsor the 2nd Annual National Youth Roundtable on the State of the Environment in Washington D.C. The event will bring together a minimum of two delegates, one young man and one young woman, from each state to participate in and report on a 6-day series of roundtable events focusing on the 10 key goals of sustainable development as identified by the Presidents Council on Sustainable Development. Youth delegates will discuss natioanl environmental policy with congressional delegates, representatives from government, national environmental advocates, academic researchers and members of the business community.

The iNetNews Team demonstrating solar energy to a school on the Sea of Cortez, Mexico. (May 2000).

• KEYNOTE ADDRESS by nationally recognized political and environmental leaders speaking on current issues of sustainability and the environment.

• MODERATED ROUNDTABLES on national policy issues in support of sustainable development and the environment.

• EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS focusing on the development of youth policy recommendations for presentation to the President of the United States and Congress.

Youth Delegates building a model sustainable community utilizing the "BOX CITY" project-based learning activity. (July 1999).

• CORRESPONDENT NEWSROOMS in which participating delegates will conduct in-depth interviews with congresional delegates and other program participants for broadcast and publication on the Internet.

• NATIONAL ROUNDTABLE on Earth Day at the National Mall in which Youth Delegates will conduct a day-long National Roundtable with citizen participation.

• FUN ACTIVITIES to stimulate your thinking about

• NATIONAL SCHOOL PARTICIPATION: The National Youth Roundtable will be web-cast for participation of schools throughout the United States utilizing the SolarQuest Virtual Schoolhouse distance education technology.

• STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT: Youth delegates will prepare a report on the Roundtable for publication on the iNetNews Service web site. The report, which will include national indicators on sustainability and the environmental, will serve as the basis for SolarQuest national service projects and future National Youth Roundtables.

iNetNews Team broadcasting interviews from the National Town Meeting. (May 1999).

• APPLICATION / AGREEMENT: Complete an application form stating your commitment to attend the National Youth Roundtable and pledge to complete all requirements of a National Youth Delegate. Once you have submitted a signed and dated Application Form, an iNetNews Service Contract will be forwarded to you in which all requirements are clearly indicated, including schedules for completing all the requirements and financial obligations.

• APPLICATION ESSAY: Write a minimum 500-word essay describing how you are involved in sustainable development and or environmental activities your school and/or your community. Publish the essay on the SolarQuest iNetNews Service web site.

• DELEGATE BIOGRAPHY: Provide a biographical statement in which you detail your community service activities related to sustainable development and the environment, including information on organizations in your community or region for which you have served as a volunteer.

Youth Delegates arrive in Uganda to install solar lighting. White House Millennium Council Village Power 2000 Project (August 1999).

• PRESS CONFERENCE: Write a press release and hold a press conference in your community to publicly state your intentions to represent American youth concerning issues of sustainable development and the environment at the National Youth Roundtable. Publish the press release on the SolarQuest iNetNews Service web site. Include the names and titles of persons attending the press conference. Publish any articles written about your quest to be a National Youth Delegate, including photos, on SolarQuest iNetNews Service web site.

• SCHOOL ROUNDTABLE: Hold one or more practice Youth Roundtable(s) in your school to include parents, teachers, and students. Provide an evaluation form to all roundtable participants, including the audience, in which you provide the evaluation criteria. Fax all signed evaluations to the SolarQuest iNetNews Service web site. Evaluations will be used to determine your potential role at the National Youth Roundtable.

• COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE: Hold a Roundtable in your community to include parents, teachers, students, elected officials, business and civil leaders. Write a press release to publicize the event, and hold a press conference immediately after the event, allowing participants to state the public benefits of a community roundtable. Provide an evaluation form to all roundtable participants, including the audience, in which you provide the evaluation criteria. Fax all signed evaluations to the SolarQuest iNetNews Service web site. Evaluations will be used to determine your potential role at the National Youth Roundtable. Audio and/or video tape the community roundtable and provide a written transcript to participants. Publish the transcript on the SolarQuest iNetNews Service web site.

• DEMONSTRATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF SUSTAINABILITY: Demonstrate your knowledge of the ten key principles of sustainable development as identified by the Presidents Council on Sustainable Development by publishing two essays or investigative news stories about sustainable development issues in your community on the SolarQuest iNetNews Service web site. Fax an evaluation of these essays or news stories by your academic advisor to the SolarQuest iNetNews Service. Submit your essays or news stories to a local newspaper for publication. Provide a sample of all essays or news stories that are published locally to the SolarQuest iNetNews Service. (Note: Creative work, including poetry, short stories, photo essays can be substituted for this requirement.)

Youth Delegates assiting rural villagers in the installtion of remote Internet connection. White House Millennium Council Village Power 2000 Project. (October 2000).

• LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Provide two letters of recommendation---one from your academic advisor and one from your community mentor. Letters of recommendation should include relevant information about your competence in one or more tasks that are required for eligibility as a National Youth Delegate. Letters of recommendation will be used to determine your potential role at the National Youth Roundtable. Fax all letters of recommendation signed by your academic advisor and community mentor to the SolarQuest iNetNews Service.

• COMPLETE ALL REQUIRED FORMS: National Youth Delegates must complete all necessary school and parental permission forms required for participation in the National Youth Roundtable.

• CHAPERONE: National Youth Delegates are required to attend to the National Youth Roundtable accompanied by a chaperone. An academic advisor, community mentor, parent, or other parent-approved adult may serve as a chaperone. Academic advisors and community mentors are preferred, as the roundtable program is designed to include their participation.

Power Point Presentation by Youth Delegate, Cassie Nielson. (August 1999).

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE TOO MUCH WORK? Not Really! Review the Power Point Presentation by Cassie Nielson to see what can be done to meet the eligibility requirements. Cassie had only 30 days to prepare for the first National Youth Roundtable at the President's Council on Sustainable Development.

iNetNews Service Bureau fees and fee schedule are as follows:

• APPLICANT RESERVATION FEE: $500. The Applicant Reservation Fee of $500 is paid by the delegate or delegates local sponsor. This fee reserves the participation of the delegate and the chaperone on a first-come, first-served basis. The reservation fee is due three weeks from the date of application submittal to allow the applicant to obtain a sponsor.

• ROUNDTABLE RESERVATION FEE: $1,500. The Roundtable Reservation Fee of $1,500 per participant---delegate and chaperone---is due no later than October 30, 2001. This fee is required to secure conference facilities, secure speakers, prepare event program, and provide support services (including fundraising) for youth delegates, academic advisors, community mentors, and chaperones.

• ROUNDTABLE SERVICE FEE: $1,500. The Roundtable Service Fee per participant---delegate and chaperone---is due no later than January 30, 2002. This fee is required to secure all program activities, and provide roundtable support services for youth delegates and chaperones during the National Youth Roundtable.

• REIMBURSEMENT POLICY: All fees are reimbursable within 60 days of payment, provided a qualified substitute youth delegate, including chaperone, is identified by either the delegate or the SolarQuest iNetNews Service. The SolarQuest iNetNews Service will maintain a list of alternate delegates.

• SPONSORSHIP POLICY: All delegate and chaperone fees for the National Youth Roundtable may be funded by local sponsorship. The SolarQuest iNetNews Service will provide support services to delegates and sponsors, including sponsorship recognition on the SolarQuest Virtual Schoolhouse. Delegates may identify funding through local civic organizations, private industry sponsors, or through other means of event fund raising. A local non-profit corporation, such as a civic organization, environmental organization, parent-teachers association, may serve as a delegate sponsor fund raising on behalf of a delegate and chaperone and function as the fiduciary agent for all charitable giving.
  

Youth Delegates complete construction of a solar race car. (September 1999).

• PROGRAM GUIDEBOOK: A SolarQuest iNetNews Service Student Guidebook will be provided to each National Youth Delegate. The guidebook will include activity templates, required forms, evaluation recommendations, instructions on the use of the SolarQuest Virtual Schoolhouse, fund raising suggestions, sample sponsorship grant applications, a preliminary National Youth Roundtable program schedule, and other useful resource information. SolarQuest iNetNews Service staff will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. On-line support services, including a curriculum on sustainable development, will be available 24 hours per day through the SolarQuest Virtual Schoolhouse.