Smart Tools

Planning Your School’s Earth Day Event

April 22 is the celebration of Mother Earth’s Day, and this is a big stand made by people, groups and organizations all over the world asking for governments to take action against global warming and climate change, and people in general to adjust their lifestyles to a more environmentally-friendly one.

Here are some ideas that you can do during, before or after Earth Day:

  1. Hold an Earth Fair
  2. Organize an artistic event linked to the Earth Day celebration
  3. Launch a year-long environmental project
  4. Hold a Green Awards 2008 to acknowledge the environmental efforts of individuals and groups for the past year
  5. Lobby for the implementation of environmental laws
  6. Have a special “Green Lecture”
  7. Circulate petitions
  8. Email government officials and ask them either for support in your campaign or against an action being done that is harmful to the environment
  9. Write letters to the editor to correct or interpret facts from corporations or government officials
  10. Organize an Earth Day TV screening, similar to everyone watching Manny Pacquiao fights on paid cable. Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming will be shown on Earth Day TV, and it will be on how to best reduce your carbon emissions.
  11. Get your high school principal lobby for more university presidents to sign the  President’s Climate Commitment, a commitment to neutralize gas emissions on campuses
  12. Volunteer for the Earth Day Network or the World Youth Organization on Climate Change
  13. Fundraise at your school for Greenpeace or other environmental groups
  14. Work for a green school.

Meanwhile, here are some tips on how to better organize your school’s Earth Day event:

  1. Start by finding out what’s already being planned in your community.
  2. Meet with one or two key players to identify possible partners. Or turn it into a kick-off meeting and invite community service organizations who might or might not have their own Earth Day event but are certainly interested.
  3. Assign people who can be part of the steering committee. Each member will head other sub-committees that can oversee areas such as: project or event planning, fundraising or marketing, preparing materials, and logistics.
  4. Center the entire event on two or three basic campaign concepts, to make the message stick longer. Really aim to make the public understand what the event stands for, and repeat that message tirelessly.
  5. Identify your goals and objectives. Then choose an action plan that can best meet those objectives.
  6. Find everything there is to know about your campaign, then communicate it with your key players, volunteers and dedicated activists.
  7. Have a good contact list with all the event team’s email addresses and mobile phone numbers. This is especially useful in organizing and disseminating information about your campaign.
  8. If possible, create a website that is appropriate for the public you are targeting to reach. And don’t forget to make it informative, interactive and fun.
  9. Make the Internet work for you through online networking and getting publicity for your event. The more people attend it, the more people can listen and understand your message, and act on it afterwards.
  10. Establish forums online for volunteers, event organizers and interested people to interact.

Check out the following links: Organizers Guide, Things You can Do, Register Your Event Here

Sources:

“Earth Day In A Box.” Retrieved April 14, 2008 from
http://www.earthday.net/resources/2006materials/EarthDay-in-a-Box.aspx
“Organizer’s Guide.” Retrieved April 14, 2008 from
http://www.earthday.net/resources/2006materials/edorg_updated.pdf
“Youth Action Center.”  Retrieved April 14, 2008 from
http://ww2.earthday.net/~earthday/node/7877

(Published 21 April 2008, Smart Schools Program)