Roots & Shoots (R&S) believes in youth and their power to change the world into a better place. Children around the world form R&S groups in order to take on projects, dealing with three main topics: Environment, Animals, Community. Last week’s blog covered the preparations by Beijing City International School (BCIS) for the R&S International School Summit to be held on November 13, 2014 at Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) .
This week we will focus on the International School of Beijing (ISB) and the achievements that they are planning on presenting to Jane Goodall at the Summit.
The first R&S Group at ISB was established in 2006 and after eight years they have grown into a community of over 70 students working together for the environment, the animals and the people.
Being a large group, they have the advantage of focusing on many different issues. For example, a project helping the environment is their “Planting at Hope Healing Home”event that they organize annually. They create a positive impact on the nature and on the community, as the HHH is an orphanage taking unclaimed babies and providing them with medical care and surgery. The students from ISB plant flowers, trees and shrubs to make the environment at the orphanage more appealing.
Another environmental issue ISB dealt with this year was the increase of garbage in their community. To combat this negative development, they organized small garbage clean-ups during their meeting time in order to improve the surroundings for their school and the community.
As part of their work with wildlife, the ISB R&S students also frequently visit the Beijing Human and Animal Environmental Education center, a local animal shelter. There the students help in different ways such as with volunteering, financial support and public awareness. They come to the shelter themselves to clean animal stables and take care of the animals.
Furthermore, they hold several fundraisers each year, donating over RMB 35,000 last year alone. They also design posters about the animals at the shelter and help raise awareness about the animals thereat spring fair booths and through daily announcements. In addition, they take photos of the animals and put them on postcards, selling them during the winter season. The money raised from each postcard will be used to sponsor that animal with food and medical care.
This is but a few of the many projects and activities organized by the ISB R&S Group. As the largest group in Beijing, they will have a lot more projects to share with Jane Goodall in November.
The Summit is a great way to show everyone what Roots & Shoots Groups are doing and R&S is very excited to see all of the unique ideas of students who are willing to help the world. We’re very happy for ISB and their contributions to R&S, and look forward to their projects in the future!
Roots & Shoots is an international hands-on environmental and humanitarian education program that is about making positive change happen – for the environment, for animals and for our communities. Started in 1991 by Dr. Jane Goodall and a group of Tanzanian students who wanted to make a difference in their community, R&S is now a growing global program based on the principle that everyone has the ability to bring about change. For more information, visit our website www.genyuya.org.cn/en/
Photos: R&S ISB