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How SCAF is helping our environment by Adrian Merrick, SCAF member The Student Community Action Fund (SCAF) Council is a high school service group run by Common Cents that aims to help the world through youth service and global awareness. Each year the SCAF Council chooses a global issue of focus, and this year we decided to address global warming because we felt it needed immediate attention, especially from young people. After researching the issue and creating an educational video, we felt that in order to have the greatest impact we should find a project that would positively affect the environment and also educate others about the importance of this issue. Using these criteria as our guide, we found Earth Hour, a project run by the World Wildlife Fund. Earth Hour achieved all the goals we sought to accomplish; it not only educated people about the importance of helping the environment, but it also empowered millions to join a global effort. Earth Hour began last year in Sydney, Australia when for one hour, 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses turned off all their lights, delivering a powerful message about the need for action on global warming. This year, having grown into a global project with the participation of 380 cities in over 35 countries, Earth Hour took place on Saturday, March 29th from 8-9pm. However, New York City, our hometown, had not joined the cause and we were determined to do something to change that. We decided that one effective way to reach our community would be to involve Penny Harvesters. As such, we created tools for students on Philanthropy Roundtable to use to reach out to their peers and get them involved. We gave them flyers to hand out around school and announcements they could make to their classes. SCAF also created a PSA to advertise Earth Hour, sharing information about Earth Hour as well as suggesting activities to do while lights were out. All this work paid off! In the end our goal to bring Earth Hour to New York City was a success. Nearly 2,000 Penny Harvest students from 15 Penny Harvest schools and additional 600 students from other schools participated.  Even though we prepared for weeks and Earth Hour only lasted 60 minutes, the result was well worth all the work. SCAF was able to inform and educate hundreds of students about the importance of helping the environment, as well as the power of youth action. I too participated in Earth Hour, and while sitting in the dark, I knew that everywhere around me, students throughout New York City were thinking about how they were making a difference. Adrian Merrick is is a senior at Hunter College High School and will attend Barnard College in the fall of 2008. She is one of the 20 high school students from New York City who make up the Student Community Action Fund (SCAF) Council. Adrian has been on SCAF for 4 years. For more information about SCAF and their latest project - STAND (Students Taking Action Now! Days) - visit SCAF’s website. |
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