Morning Presenters

How To Fight A War Using Social Media

Tristan S. (Rutland High School Student)

Participants will learn about the ways people have used social media and the internet to influence how international conflicts are fought. This session will focus on three examples from around the world: the Arab Spring, the evacuation of Afghanistan, and the Russian-Ukraine war. Participants will even learn how they might engage in similar struggles. 

Local Issue: Using Social Media For Communitty Organizing

Global Issue: Peacekeeping, Conflict Prevention, Combatting Terrorism and Digital Divide

Geoengineering: Our Last Hope

Emilia S. (Rutland High School Student)

The human species alters its environment more than any other known species on Earth, often negatively. Geoengineering explores the concept of purposely altering the environment to mitigate the dangerous effects of climate change. Participants will learn about a variety of strategies proposed and weigh the risks and potential impacts, which are not all equitable. 

Local Issue: Designing a Rutland High School rain garden.

Global Issue: Climate Change

The American Dream Board Game

Students from the Rutland High School Global Citizenship Class

Spend some time in someone else’s shoes by playing the board game (created by Point Made Learning) that explores how bias, stereotypes, discrimination, and systemic inequity can block one’s path toward achieving the “American Dream.”

Local Issue: Awareness of Societal Discrimination.

Global Issue: Education For All

World Peace Game

Michael Callahan (Rutland High School Teacher)

In this real-time, interactive simulation, participants will have the chance to control a country politically, economically, and socially to turn their country into a world power. Students must make decisions under pressure that will affect their country’s future including war, economic depressions, natural disasters, and more. 

Local Issue: Civic engagement with an appreciation for the complexities of governing

Global Issue: Peacekeeping, Conflict Prevention, Combating Terrorism

Thirst

Sue Tanen and her Rutland Intermediate School Class

The water crisis in India as represented in the book “Thirst” by Varsha Bajaj.  This book was selected as the Global Read Aloud book for 2022. Readers from around the world have exchanged postcards and messages about their interaction with the story with others who have also read the book.  The students will share what they have learned about the water crisis in India as well as the correspondence that they have enjoyed with other readers.

Local Issue: Students are becoming more mindful of their water consumption.

Global Issue: Water Deficits, Massive Step-Up in the Fight Against Poverty

Fresh Water Crisis: Diplomatic Simulation

Detlef Hagge (Rutland High School Teacher)

Participants will play the roles of stakeholders while trying to negotiate a peaceful solution to a water crisis senario.The habitat of an endangered species must be considered against the benefits of  building a dam.

Local Issue: Learning how to communicate effectively with people who hold different perspectives on important common issues.

Global Issue: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Losses

Water Themed Paper Circuits

Greg Styles (Rutland High School Teacher)

Participants in this session will learn how to create a functioning electrical circuit built on a paper foundation while investigating information about Water deficits. Students will learn how to make paper circuits while interacting with statistics about WATER.

Local Issue: How can students learn about water deficit issues and create learning tools to spread the information using paper circuits?

Global Issue: Water Deficits

Theater of the Oppressed

Cathy Archer (Rutland High School Teacher)

Build awareness, empathy, and voice to make positive influences in our community and beyond.

Local Issue: This session will actively make participants think and feel as they take on interactive aspects of the workshop.

Global Issue: Education For All

Social Tinkering: A Human Connection Project

Jeannette Langston – Director of Social Tinkering

There is a global crisis of chronic loneliness and disconnection affecting our health and wellness as well as our ability to respond to the issues facing us, including our climate crisis and environmental issues.  In this session, you will understand how this loneliness crisis affects individuals, families, and communities. Our presenter will explain how we can increase a sense of belonging to combat loneliness in order to thrive.  You will also hear of activities and gatherings sponsored by Social Tinkering in our region.

Local Issue: What can we do to connect with each other in our community, especially coming out of the Pandemic?

(There is not a GIN Global Issue that corresponds to this session)

What’s your Watermark: A film about Vermont’s Water

Global Citizenship Class Members

We live in a pretty pristine state, right? Even in Vermont we face challenges to our clean water sources.  This film will raise our awareness about how to protect and preserve our access to clean water in Vermont.

Local Issue: How can we protect our regional watersheds?

Global Issue: Water Deficits 

Rain Barrel Decoration

Elizabeth McReynolds & Madeline Pritchard (RHS Art Teachers)

Participants will decorate 55 gallon rain barrels that will be donated to our community partner, Pure Water for the World, for raffel to the community for fundraising to support their work in Haiti and Honduras. Participants will use art to make a difference.  Some lucky raffle winners will get beautiful rain receptacles for their gardens, farms or yards.

Local question: How can we manage our personal use of water better?

Global Issue: Water Deficits

Indigenous History

Judy Dow

Judy Dow, Indigenous Scholar and Educator, will offer an introduction to Indigeous History, helping us to understand what we don’t know by highlighting the narratives of under-represented voices of Indigenous heritage.

Local Question: What is the history of Indigenous folk in our region?

(There is not a GIN Global Issue that corresponds to this session)

Public Works

Tom Garafanno

In this session students will learn the measures taken to assure that our local water is safe and accessible and how we can operate to help.

Local question: How does the Rultand City Public Works manage our local water and what can we do to help?

Global Issue: Water Deficits

Inclusion for Better Solutions

Clarena Renfrow (Rutland High School Technology Teacher)

In this all-day session, during Women’s History month and on the heels of Black History month, students will examine the contributions of Black women in the fields of mathematics and science.  The discussions will be anchored by excerpts from the film Hidden Figures.

Local Issue: How do we make STEM programs accessible, attractive, and welcoming to all learners?

Global Issue: Education For All

Pure Water for the World-Honduras

Maria Regina Inestroza

In this session, our keynote speaker, Maria Regina Inestroza, will expand on sharing the work that Pure Water for the World does in Honduras…the challenges and the victories. Pure Water for the World was created out of the mission of a Rutland, Vermont Rotary club and is headquartered in Rutland.  If you wish to take action to make clean water accessible you can do it with them.

Local Issue: How can students get involved with Pure Water For The World?

Global Issue: Water Deficits

Aqua India: The Untold Saga

Students and the outreach coordinator from the Shri Shikshayatan school in Kolkata, India

In this session you will meet students from a school in Kolkata, India with whom RHS is building a relationship.  The students will offer their perspectives on their relationship with water– tapping into art, literature, music, science, history, geography and politics. We will also open up the conversation in an effort to build an appreciation for and understanding of one another. 

Local Issue: How can we join forces with a school in India to explore and address our common challenges and to learn more about one another?

Global Issue: Water Deficits