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YouthCan 2004:
A Student's Perspective

YouthCaN gives us a chance to explore our environments.....allows us to communicate with people worldwide..... and it betters our leadership skills.
[In YouthCan], it is the youth who make all of the decisions!
Nuria (left) and fellow Youthcaner, pose at the iEARN 2003 conference in Japan.
Nuria (left) and fellow Youthcaner, pose at the iEARN 2003 conference in Japan.

Nuria, a YouthCan participant, fondly known to other participants as a fellow YouthCaner, is an 18-year-old high school senior from New York City.

Here she talks about her experience with YouthCan, her passion for it, and why she thinks students and teachers, everywhere, should take part.

How long have you been with YouthCan?
This will be my second year in YouthCaN. I joined YouthCaN October of 2002.

How did you become involved with iEARN?
I became involved with iEARN through youthCaN.

How did you become involved with YouthCan?
I became involved with YouthCaN because a teacher at my school, who was aware of the project, recommended me to it.

Do you help in the planning or preparation of YouthCan events?
I help with the planning of the YouthCaN conference, I help with the opening and closing, I organize hikes, I do the agendas and the minutes for each meeeting and I represented YouthCaN in the conference in Japan.

How much work goes into planning this event?
A lot of work goes into planning! Our meetings are once a week for about three hours, but when the conference is close we meet three times a week, sometimes on the weekends. We send invitations to all participants, put up signs, take the participants on hikes and tours once they arrive... a lot of work.

How do you feel about youthCan?
I think its great because, YouthCaN gives us a chance to explore our environments, YouthCaN allows us to communicate with people worldwide, and it betters our leadership skills. It is the youth who make all of the decisions.

What takes place at a youthCan event?
At YouthCaN events, students from around the nation and the world present their environmental projects in workshops. There also is an opening and closing ceremony where YouthCaNers are the MC's and do skits, poems, organize slide shows.

How do you think students and teachers can benefit from attending a YouthCan conference or by participating along with it?
Students and teachers can acquire more knowledge about other cultures, countries, and lifestyles.

What would you tell other students about youthCan? Would you recommend it to your friends?
I would recommend it to my friends! I would tell that YouthCaN is the best learning experience a person can get.

What do you think makes this year’s YouthCan special or unique?
I think it's unique that we are going to have [so many] different nations and states attending.

What’s the best part about YouthCan?
That it is a global community!

Page created on 10/22/2004 4:11:14 PM

Last edited 10/22/2004 4:11:14 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

My Hero: YouthCan - offers more information about the project and the annual event.
YouthCaN World.org: - visit to learn more about YouthCaN, global members, past events and conferences, and to learn more about participating in YouthCaN 2004..
The American Museum of Natural History in New York City - is a co-sponsor of YouthCaN and a host to the NYC conference.
 

Author Info

YouthCaN is a youth-run organization that uses telecommunication technologies to “unite environmentally active youth to exchange ideas about the environment and empower others to make a difference in their own communities” around the world.

Each April since 1995, a youth planning committee coordinates YouthCaN at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City --an event that, in addition to the more than 1000 students in attendance, brings together youth from around the world. Simultaneously, other events take place around the US and in other countries as well. YouthCaN New York 2004 also took place simulatneously with a major event in the Middle East called YouthcaN Med.

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