MORE DETAIL TO COME: For their Samantha Smith Challenge project, the students at the Poland Community School took on the sticky subject of Cyber-Bullying.

Samantha Smith Challenge

Messalonskee Middle School

Grades 7 and 8

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Homelessness, Hunger, Poverty

The Question: How can we work together in conjunction with the Maine State Government to reduce homelessness, hunger, and poverty in our state?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter
• Johnny's Selected Seeds
• State and Local Government Officials

Facts Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

• One in eight families in Maine is living in hunger/poverty.
• Maine has 43% more poverty than every other state.
• The two biggest causes of homelessness are lack of affordable housing and loss of jobs.
• Maine is the third most hungry state.

Plan of Action:

• Research
• BakeSale
• Share MMHS brochures in our community
• Bird House on MMS Trails

Results:

• We will be planting a garden of peas and green beans at the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter.
• Residents will plant with us to be able to sustain the garden after we're gone and use the crops in their cooking.

Ongoing support needed:

We just need the snow to melt to be able to actually go plant at the MMHS and hang our birdhouse on the trails.

Students:

Adam DeWitt (Grade 8) Ainsley Corson (Grade 7)

Alysan Rancourt (Grade 7) Chase Veregge (Grade 8)

Connor Collins (Grade 7) Emma DiGirolamo (Grade7)

Eve Lilly (Grade 7) Hannah Cummings (Grade 7)

Hunter Atwood (Grade 8) Jordan Devine (Grade 7)

Josie Varney (Grade 8) Katie Luce (Grade 7)

Madison Jewell (Grade 7) Makenzie Smith (Grade 7)

Matthew Dostie (Grade 7) Molly Glueck (Grade 7)

Myranda Wohlford (Grade 7) Paige Lilly (Grade 7)

Teacher: Lindsay Mahoney

Quotations from Students:

• "There are a lot more homeless people in our community than I expected. The homeless shelters need more help and resources than they have. It was a good learning experience because I learned how to help people right now in our state."
• "It was fun because it wasn't school work; we got to go out in the community and change an issue that is affecting our area."
• "I like that we are making a difference by helping the homeless shelter and not just learning about it."
• "We learned to look at problems in the world/our community and figure out how we could solve them, not rely on others to solve them for us."

Samantha Smith Challenge

York Middle School

Team Snow Leopard, Team 1

Grade 7

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Eating Healthy

The Question: What does it mean to eat healthy?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• Local farmers
• Local Hannaford store
• YMS community

Facts and Resources that Influenced Your Thinking:

• Students watched the movie Food Inc., which gave them an overview of the food system here.
• They started their research around the topics of GMO's, pesticides, corn products, Monsanto, and slaughterhouses.
• Through their research, they realized that they had to re-focus and choose a specific topic, as the topic of "food revolution" was too big. They decided on "what it means to eat healthy".

Plan of Action:

• To teach the YMS and York communities about what it means to eat healthy.
• Make a website with the following:
• Tasty Tips for eating healthy
• Tips for how to plant a garden
• Tips for what to pack for healthy school lunches

• PSA with this info in it
• Hanging Tasty Tip signs around the school and at the local Hannaford.
• Make healthy snacks for the team while we showcase our projects.

Results:

Findings of research include:

• What it means to eat healthy--
• Eat nutritious foods that your body will like.
• Upping fruit & vegetable intake.
• Limiting the amount of processed foods.
• Eat meat & animal products in moderation.
• Go to your local farmer's markets.

Students:

• Belle Babcock Grace Beecher

• Lily Brodski Ashley Carney

• Leah Daigneault Aidan Drew

• Sydney Fogg Riley Johnston

• Delaney LaBonte Sara L.amoureaux

• Riley Linn Justin Suarez

• Logan Works

Teacher: Melissa Fenelon

Names of people who made the video: Riley Linn & Riley Johnston

Thoughts about this experience:

"I gained confidence in speaking by going to the farmers market and interviewing the farmers." - Sydney Fogg

"This made me think about what I eat more & made me more cautious about what is in my food." - Aidan Drew

"During our showcase, it really came out how much work everyone did for the community." - Riley Linn

"It felt good to make a change in people's thoughts on healthy eating." - Leah Daigneault

"The process made me think about how I am living and eating." - Grace Beecher

Samantha Smith Challenge

York Middle School

Team Puma, Group 4

Grade 7

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Animal Rights

The Question: How do we promote awareness of animal rights and the problems of animal abuse and abandonment? How can we support our local shelter, the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk, Maine?

The Solution: The animal rights group will be speaking with all fifth grade students at the York Middle School. We will educate them on animal rights and how to prevent animal abuse. We will also be asking the school community for donations for the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk, Maine.

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• York's Wild Animal Kingdom (attempted)
• Animal Welfare Society, Kennebunk, Maine
• Fifth grade teachers

Facts and Research that Influenced Your Thinking:

• If you suspect abuse-Contact the Animal Welfare Program in Augusta at 287-3846 or toll-free 1-877-269-9200. You can also e-mail them at animal.welfare@maine.gov.
• Studies have shown that when there is domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse or any type of human violence in the home, there often is or has been animal abuse as well.
• Research on puppy mills, circus/zoo animals, dog fighting, poaching, and illegal hunting.

Plan of Action:

• The animal rights group visited the Animal Welfare Society on April 9, 2015. They were given a tour and taught how to make treats for the animals there. They were educated on animal abuse, abandonment, and the conditions of the shelters in southern United States.
• The group has created a presentation for the fifth grade students at York Middle School which they will present in May.
• They have also created flyers asking for donations of items that are currently on the Animal Welfare Society's wish list.

Results:

All students gained knowledge of animal laws in Maine and ways to spot abuse or neglect.

Ongoing support needed:

The students need to complete their presentations to the fifth graders, collect the donations, and bring the donations to the Animal Welfare Society.

Students:

Jackson Forbes Abby Bourgeois

Jessa Fitzgerald Betsey Greene

Dyamond Dempsey Hannah Newcombe

Austin Fisher Joelle Shipman

Lila Sewall Tyler Donnell

Sophia Ruland Emma Runte

Olivia Linehan Jessie Paquet

Pari Kim

Teacher: Mrs. Nancy Lindbom, Social Studies Teacher, Puma Team

Names of people who made the video: The whole group!

Thoughts about this experience:

"I learned that if you help a problem in the community now you would probably remember it when you grow up and you could do it through your lifetime."-Tyler Donnell

"I learned it doesn't take that many people to make a difference. We were a group of 15 and we are working toward helping animals in the Kennebunk Animal Welfare Society" -Betsy Greene

"I learned that if there is a problem in your community, you need to take charge and not just stand by and watch bad things happen." -Hannah Newcombe

Samantha Smith Challenge

Messalonskee Middle School

Grade 7

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Animal hunger and animal abuse

The Question: What if we didn't have animal hunger and animal abuse?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• Students at MMS
• Animal Control Officer: Patrick Faucher
• Waterville Humane Society

Facts Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

• 64.5% of abuse cases in the US involved dogs
• 18% involved cats
• 25% (470) involved other animals

Plan of Action:

• Presentation to students on our team
• Place a box in the school to collect dog/cat food and toys
• Place coffee cans at local businesses to collect money to donate to the animal shelter
• Volunteer at the Waterville Humane Society

Students:

Khamren GodinChurchill

Josh Zinkovitch

Teacher: Martha Farnham

Comment about the Samantha Smith Challenge:

The students were passionate about their issue and seemed to enjoy researching and presenting on it. -- Martha Farnham, Teacher

Messalonskee Middle School

Team Pemaquid

Grades 7 and 8

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Hunger

The Question: How can we help prevent hunger in our school and community?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• School Lunch Program- William D. Hamilton MS, RD, SNS, Nutrition Director RSU No. 18
• Farm to School Committee- Clair Heffernan chair
• Community Raised Bed Co-ordinator Tom Pullen
• Summer School Free Lunch Program
• Faculty and Students from the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences
• Bonnie Sammons- master gardener

Facts (and Resources) Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

• One out of five kids= 16 million struggle with hunger
• Childhood hunger is linked to developmental, behavioral and academic problems
• Video: A Place at the Table
• Data on GMOs and Fake Foods
• Fast Food Nation

Plan of Action:

• Research on an area dealing with hunger and nutrition
• Create informational projects for school population: bulletin board in hall, posters, websites, podcasts
• Build fairy houses on trail to inform the elementary students about issues around food
• Run taste tests on healthy food choices for breakfast and snacks
• Build a hoop house (greenhouse) and refresh community raised beds
• Plant seeds and grow seedlings to transplant into the raised beds
• Harvest vegetables to donate to summer school lunch program, community food bank, and team lunch and snack shack
• Apply for a larger greenhouse to increase harvest for the whole school

Results:

• Fairy houses built and places on trail with informational signage
• Ran taste tests that students enjoyed using fruits and vegetables
• Informational posters and bulletin boards up and read by many students
• Seedlings grown and waiting for planting outside
• Hoop house up and raised beds made/refreshed
• Seeds planted

Ongoing support needed:

• Students and community members to harvest, water, and weed garden beds over the summer
• Food service program to wash and prepare food for students
• Grant money to buy supplies to continue this work next year and/or expand our garden

Entire Team Pemaquid (84 students)

Focus crew:

Gabby Wood-McGuckin-8 Ryan Pullen-8

Hunter Smart-8 Julia Cooke-8

Noah Cummings-8 Magan Williams-8

Seth Main-8 Isaac Violette-7

Hannah DelGiudice-7 Eli Ross-7

Parker Brunelle-8 Leighara McDaniel-7

Teachers:

Kim Fish

Amanda Ripa

Linda Haskell

Names of people who made the video:

Kim Fish

Gabby Wood-McGuckin

Thoughts about this experience:

This unit has brought up conversations at home because it's a project that is very personal to me. - Julia Cooke

We wanted to get a hoop house and grow food because there are a lot of people in our community that don't have enough food or at least healthy food they can eat due to the expense. -Peyton Arbor

We realized a lot of people in our school have choices at lunch, but they don't always like the choices left by third lunch. If we can grow food, then we can provide more choices on the salad bar with fresh food from our garden, then the kids might actually like it. - Noah Cummings

This project has given the students a voice in the community and has made them feel that they can make a difference. Several students plant to try gardens at home as well. Many are eagerly awaiting the first harvest in the summer. They are very proud of their work.

Samantha Smith Challenge

Messalonskee Middle School

Grades 7 and 8

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Bullying

The Question: "What is bullying and what can we do to stop it?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• We tried to contact the local newspaper (The Morning Sentinel) and television station (WABI TV 5), but did not get a response.
• Oakland Police Department and High School
• Resource Officer Tracy Frost
• Alfond Youth Center

Resources:

• stopbullying.gov
• childtrends.org
• stompoutbullying.org
• Middle school principal, the middle school resource officer, and students from different grade levels

Facts Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

• Oakland PD and Human Resource Officer talked to us about bullying as it relates to adults and harassment, and how at early ages it can be prevented from getting to the criminal level with efforts such as ours to educate and prevent bullying.
• Suicide rates among 10-14 year olds have grown more than 50% over the last three decades.
• One in seven students in grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim.
• In 2011, 14% of children ages 2-17 experienced physical bullying, and 37% experienced teasing and emotional bullying.
• Some reasons for bullying include: lack of attention from a parent at home, neglect, divorced parents, drug/alcohol use in the home, domestic violence or conflicts at home, thinking badly of others, negative perceptions of life, difficulty following rules, viewing violence as a positive/effective way to respond to problems, having friends who bully others.
• Information learned from anonymous research used in the video in the form of statistics or verbal responses to students' own experiences with the issue of bullying.

Plan of Action:

• We created "STOP, WALK, TALK." as a slogan to promote our anti-bullying initiative.
• We assigned the following individual jobs: interviewing community stakeholders; iMovie making; researching bullying statistics; contacting stakeholders; library research.

Results:

• Tim Lecrone, program director at Alfond Youth Center in Waterville, Maine, agreed to show our "Stop, Walk, Talk" video at the youth center.
• Students have been engaging in the steps of "Stop, Walk, Talk" initiative based upon flyers posted around our school.
• School to community connections were made with local law enforcement officials.
• Students became aware of realistic statistics about the types, frequency, and effects of bullying in our schools and communities today.

Ongoing support needed:

• Technical support was needed from our technology teacher.
• School officials and students were consulted.
• One AWTT/Samantha Smith Challenge official visited to inquire about our progress.
• School support person, Lindsay Mahoney, provided onsite support to teachers/classrooms participating.
• Support to be able to send representative groups/students to the June1, 2015, events in Augusta related to this project.

Students:

Addison Littlefield 7 Alexis York 8

Amelia Bradfield 8 Bradley Condon 7

Brennen Francis 7 Caitlin Parks 8

Cameron Croft 7 Davis Moore 8

Dharani Singaram 7 Dylan Cunningham 7

Ella Nash 7 Ethan Gilles 8

Jake Perry 7 Kate Robertson 8

Katie Worcester 8 Lydia Bradfield 7

Pyper Birch 8 Steven Cude 8

Teacher: Erinn S. Michaud

Quotation from Student:

"At first it was hard to come up with ideas, but after we came up with ideas everything just fell into place. " -- Jake Perry, Grade 7

Samantha Smith Challenge

Messalonskee Middle School

Grade 8

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: The rate of child abuse in the state of Maine

The Question: How can we help children who have been abused reach out and receive help, to be able to live a life like any other child should be able to?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• Somerset County Family Enrichment Council (Somerset County)
• Families First (Kennebec County)

Facts Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

• From 2011 to 2013, the rate of child abuse in Maine increases by 58%.
• Also in the United States, a report for child abuse is made every ten seconds. *More in video below.

Plan of Action:

Presentation to students on our team, Fundraisers, Volunteer, Create a Facebook Page

Students:

Kaiisha Pluard

Hailey Moore

Surae Dunn

Micheala Lamontagne

Teacher: Martha Farnham

Comment about the Samantha Smith Challenge:

"The students were passionate about their issue and seemed to enjoy researching and presenting on it." -- Martha Farnham, Teacher

Samantha Smith Challenge

J. A. Leonard Middle School

Fox Team – Grade 8

Scroll Down To See the Video!

The Issue: Poverty

The Question: What is it like to be in poverty and what can we do about it?

Community Partners and Stakeholders: Penquis CAP, Former Peace Corps Workers, Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, Manna Ministries, Seeds of Hope, Old Town Police Department, Crossroads Food Pantry

Facts Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

People in poverty are

• the same as everyone else
• not to blame
• not more likely than the general population to be alcoholics, drug addicts, or criminals
• sometimes made villains and/or scapegoats.

Some people have way more than they need (especially the top1%) and it squeezes what's left for the rest of us.

People in poverty have a different perspective about food, education, entertainment—more survival than choice.

Poverty looks different internationally.

Plan of Action:

• Insulate a house in the community
• Sort, organize, and/or distribute food at Manna and Seeds of Hope
• Cook and serve lunch at Bangor Area Homeless Shelter
• Create a newspaper about poverty and other community issues
• Write letters to editors, legislators, and governor

Project Results:

• We completed all the above activities, which helped our community.
• Students gained a better understanding about poverty and became advocates for people in poverty.
• Students learned not to judge, especially without all the information.
• Students gained empathy for others.
• Students learned they can make a difference.

Ongoing support needed:

For next year, it would be great to have better video equipment, especially microphones.

Students:

Humam Al-Fdeilat Olivia Albert KyraArmitage

Danielle Baker Brian Barnaby Nick Baron

Abby Brackett Faith Bromiley Addy Chabe

Alex Chapman Ryan Chubbuck Dante Crenshaw

Kaitlyn Dunham Emily Dunlap James Emery

Isaac Epp Zach Fostun Ana Hamilton

Emma Hargreaves Zach Ireland Meaghan Kelley

Maura Kelly Abby Ketch Emily Ketch

Hunter Lee Logan Lilly Brittany Madden

Anna Muscatelle Nick Oechslie Demetrius Porter

Adam Regan Erin Snyder Brandi Swoboda

Hannah Talcove Kallie Thompson Libby Trefts

Levi Trefts Charlie Turner Destiny Webber

Teachers: Gert Nesin and Jay Meigs McDonald

Names of people who made the video:

Zach Fostun Ryan Chubbuck Abby Ketch

Emily Ketch Demetrius Porter Adam Regan

Libby Trefts Hannah Talcove Levi Trefts

Student quotations about poverty:

• "I learned how important it is to help people living in poverty, and how serious it is. Also, I learned that stereotypes needed to be broken, and how in my eyes they were broken."
• "Just by looking at someone, it doesn't say who they truly are."
• "Poverty isn't just one thing. Poverty has many faces, many causes, and many solutions."
• "Not only adults can help with poverty. Students can, too."
• "People in poverty are pretty much just like regular people, just without money."

Quotations about what students learned through doing this:

• "I can help people in poverty and that I can make a difference."
• "I am more caring than I thought."
• "I felt honored to be helping people and made me feel good as a person."
• "I learned that I care about people in poverty, and ending poverty a lot more than I thought."
• "How easy it is to make a difference in someone's life."
• "I learned to not judge anybody by how they look…and that I do judge people sometimes. But I need to stop because I don't know what they are going through or who they are."
• "I always have room to grow. I had thought about poverty as something very other than myself, something that didn't really affect me. Turns out it's not, and the kind of thinking I used to have was actually part of the problem because it prevented us from finding solutions."
• "It is okay to help people that need it, without thinking you're doing the right thing or being judged for wanting to help with people who need it."
• "I actually want to help people in poverty and that a lot of these people are like me."
• "These people are good people. That's the simple truth of it all."

Quotations about doing a service learning project, like the Samantha Smith Challenge:

• "It tugs at the heart strings…but is definitely something worth doing."
• "Make sure what you do is important to you, because you will learn more."
• "It is so worth it. It makes you feel good while also giving back to the community."
• "Every little thing makes a difference."
• "Don't go in with a certain mindset."
• "Classes need to interact with people, because everyone is different and that means they have different ways of dealing with issues. They need to talk to people because people are the ones who are affected and people are the ones who will solve the problems."
• "Getting involved is definitely worth it because you will learn a lot."

MORE DETAIL TO COME: In this video, the King Middle School Students continue their investigation of energy use, alternative energies, and what a sustainable future might look like.

Samantha Smith Challenge

King Middle School

Team York

Grade 8

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Global Energy Crisis

The Questions: What energy source will most sustainably take us into the future? How can an individual's choice impact the environment?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• Matt Beach, Creative Director WPXT
• Kendall Hinckley and Tyler Frank, Composting Garbage to Garden
• Who Is Your Farmer?
• Craig LaPine, Cultivating Community
• Kai Smith, Buy Local and Buoy Local People Power
• Sarah Cushman, Bicycle Coalition of Maine
• Gail Rice, Turn Out the Lights, CMP
• Keep Maine Water Clean
• Meagan Sims, Maine Healthy Beaches

Renewable Energy:

• Jen Hatch, ReVision Energy
• Vegetarian Power
• Barbara Fiore, Board member for Humane Education
• University of Southern Maine - Portland Campus

Plan of Action:

• Verbal debates
• Local Issue PSAs

Results: Impact on public choices for conservation

Teachers:

• Catherine Paul
• Paul Clifford
• Ann Young
• Marina Penalver
• Gus Goodwin

GROUP SAYS:

We're not finished yet!

Samantha Smith Challenge

York Middle School

Team Puma, Group 1

Grade 7

Scroll down to see the video

The Issue: Drug and Alcohol Abuse at York High School

The Question: How can we support the efforts of the substance abuse counselor and the members of the TIDALWAVSE group at York High School to promote awareness of the drug and alcohol problem at York High School?

The Solution: The group's goal is to raise money for the high school TIDALWAVSE program. TIDALWAVSE needs money to buy t-shirts, bring in guest speakers, and sponsor healthy social alternatives.

Community Partners and Stakeholders Consulted:

• York High School Guidance Counselor, Substance abuse counselor, Gina Brodsky
• York High School Resource Officer, Nick Piskopanis
• York Middle School Resource Officer, Jamie Rooney
• Choose to be Healthy Coalition, York Hospital
• TIDALWAVSE Organization-YHS

Resources that Influenced Your Thinking:

• Maine Office of Substance Abuse Information and Resource Center Maine statistics on use of heroin, electronic cigarettes, and marijuana
• Maine Data on Teenage Drinking
• Marijuana Facts-US Department of Health and Human Services

Plan of Action:

• Met with resource officers, high school substance abuse counselor, and TIDALWAVSE members
• Decided to support the YHS TIDALWAVSE program by fundraising
• Developed fundraising ideas

Results: Currently, the fundraiser ideas that have been presented to the administrators of the middle school have been rejected. The group is now planning the third fundraiser event and will be submitting for approval the week of April 27, 2015.

Ongoing support needed: Administration approval and fundraiser event

Students:

Cassie Reinertson Willis Rivers

Camden Cummings Lauren Woodward

Tyler Rivers Wil Masterson

Greg Goldberg Max Pickett

Kaneda Saravong Kya Talley

Reilly Long Catie Giffen

Amy Forester Jonathan Donovan

Cody Briggs

Teacher: Ms. Britni Rowe, LA Teacher, Puma Team

Names of people who made the video: The whole group.

Thoughts about this experience:

"I learned that I didn't give up after we had our first setback, and two more after that." -Kya Talley

"I learned that we cannot do this whole project without the help of others." -Amy Forester

"With enough people in a group you can make a difference." -Wil Masterson

Samantha Smith Challenge

York Middle School

Team Puma, Group 3

Grade 7

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Marine and plastic bag pollution in the Gulf of Maine and on York beaches. Also, the number of single-use grocery bags used in our local grocery store.

The Question: How can we educate people about the negative impacts of marine pollution on the York beaches, and get rid of single-use plastic bags?

The Solution: The group will complete a beach clean-up, promote awareness of marine pollution througheducation, and promote awareness of the negative impacts of single-use plastic bags.

Community Partners and Stakeholders Consulted:

• York Hannaford (supermarket)
• York Parks and Recreation
• BYOB York-Bring Your Own Bag York-Working to Reduce Plastic Bag Use

Facts Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

• 600 million-The number of single-use plastic bags used each year by Maine residents.
• 5-The percentage of single-use plastic bags that are recycled in Maine, leaving millions of bags to end up in landfills, incinerators and as litter in Maine's waterways and along roadways.
• 42 billion-The number of single-use plastic bags used world-wide per month.
• 12-The average number of minutes a single-use plastic bag gets used in the U.S.
• 500-The number of single-use bags the average American could avoid using each year by switching to reusable bags.
• Additional information on marine pollution, impacts on marine life, impacts on beaches

Plan of Action:

After researching the topic, the group decided to organize a beach clean-up day on Long Sands Beach in York, Maine. The group has also made informational flyers to hopefully place at Hannaford to educate the public on single-use bags.

Results:

The group plans on holding the beach clean-up on May 22, 2015. The group is waiting for approval to place flyers at Hannaford.

Ongoing support needed:

• During the beach clean-up
• To distribute informational flyers

Students:

Bryce Reagan Cindy Bellavance

Laura Wilson Will MacDonald

Sean Ranfos Rollan Lemieux

Max Cutler John Bychok

Cara Foggarty Maggie Prince

Tyler Humphrey Connor Remick

Abby Orso Jamie Filias

CJ Anderson

Teacher: Ms. Michelle York, Math Teacher, Puma Team

Names of people who made the video: The whole group!

Thoughts about this experience:

"I learned it is hard to make an impact on the community. It takes a lot of planning and teamwork. I also learned that you need to listen to everyone's ideas." –Maggie Prince

"I learned that helping out the community is a big part of citizenship. Just doing small things in York community can help a lot." -Will MacDonald

"People use too many plastic bags, and a lot of these plastic bags get into the ocean. So, if they don't use plastic bags, we won't have so much pollution." –Bryce Reagan

Samantha Smith Challenge

York Middle School

Team Snow Leopard, Group 3

Grade 7

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Land Conservation in York, Maine

The Question: What are some issues/problems around land conservation in our town?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• York Land Trust
• York Parks and Recreation
• Town of York
• Community Members
• York Garden Club

Facts Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

• Land conservation is a balance of different ideas, uses and needs for land.
• Stewardship is a need around land conservation in our town.
• We learned this in our discussions and phone interviews with members of York Land Trust and York Parks and Recreation.

Plan of Action:

The team's plan of action was to focus on one area that was accessible (within walking distance) and of interest to our community. The plan was to plan and implement a butterfly garden to provide habitat for wildlife and to entice more community members to use and enjoy the library pond. The team also decided to create a "Stewardship Club" in which members would be recruited to work once a month with York Land Trust on various stewardship needs.

Results:

The team held a bake sale to raise money for supplies, bought supplies and started the seeds for the garden, and walked to the area and chose the planting area. Later in the spring, with help from the York Garden Club, the team will plant and maintain their garden. They will also raise butterfly larvae to release.

Ongoing Support Needed:

Support from Garden Club and York Land Trust to coordinate efforts.

Students:

Noah Carmahalis Amelia Burley

Shyanne Goodwin Phoebe Keenan

Nathanial Chayer Garrett Ouelette

Dillon Brodsky Christopher Danos

Miranda Monz Justin Fernald

Teacher: Margot Simonds

Names of people who made the video: All of the students

Thoughts about this experience: The students loved the project and learning about land conservation. They all feel strongly that we need to take care of our land and natural surroundings and especially pay attention to animal needs and habitats. The students learned a lot about what people and groups are involved in land conservation and use, as well as the balance of needs that exist.

Samantha Smith Challenge

York Middle School

Team Puma, Group 2

Grade 7

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Hunger in York, Maine

The Question: Although York is known as a wealthier town, there are still many hungry people. How can we help the people who rely on the local food pantries and other organizations?

The Solution: Our solution is to hold a can and donation drive around York. In addition, we will post flyers to create awareness of the problem. Finally, we will volunteer in one of the local soup kitchens to further feed the hungry.

Community Partners and Stakeholders Consulted:

• Table of Plenty, a community kitchen serving free weekly meals in the towns of York, Berwick, and Kittery, Maine.
• End 68 Hours of Hunger, York, Maine group
• York Food Pantry
• Local businesses to sponsor donation boxes

Resources that Influenced Your Thinking:

• Statistics from local agencies
• Statistics from Maine.gov
• Research on a variety of topics dealing with hunger issues

Plan of Action:

After researching the topic, the students were able to get local businesses to participate in their can and food drive. The students also were able to contact the Table of Plenty and are working together to find a time when the students can volunteer their time.

Ongoing support needed:

Students still need to place their donation boxes around town, and volunteer at the Table of Plenty.

Students:

Kate Nowell Tommy Coughlin

Jade Bellevance Bella Tidd

Connor Moore Cat Wright

Nina Howe Biz Desmarais

Aislinn Lewis Brianna Baker

Catey de la Pena Eli Hultstrom

Zoe Lafleur-Kief Jonathan Higgins

Adam Diment

Teacher: Mr. Scott Dorr, Science Teacher, Puma Team

Names of people who made the video: The whole group!

Thoughts about this Experience:

"Citizens can help their community at any age. I'm only 12 years old and I am helping hungry people in York." -Bella Tidd

"I think the people need to become more aware about hunger not just in York, but worldwide. This project helped me feel committed and more aware, after I found out how many people die from hunger." -Kate Nowell

"I learned that a few citizens helping can make a difference." – Jonathan Higgins

Samantha Smith Challenge

York Middle School

Team Snow Leopard, Group 2

Grade 7

Scroll down to see the video!

The Issue: Carbon Footprint

The Question: What can we do to reduce our carbon footprint?

Community Partners and Stakeholders:

• Town of York Board of Selectmen
• Victoria Simon
• Zak Harding
• Maine Green Alliance
• YMS Community

Facts Learned that Influenced Your Thinking:

Students began with looking into what is the difference between basic necessities and extreme desires for 'things' that make up our lives; comparing different cultures. We watched an episode of 'Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey' to fully understand the impact humans have on the world. Students chose to break into three groups:Recycling, Factories, and Crude Energy. Each group was responsible for creating their own list of questions they had about their topic to use as their guide for research. As they researched, they contacted companies, organizations, spoke to the town on this very important issue.

Plan of Action:

Factory group wrote letters to factories asking them if they knew how much is wasted and what policies do they have in place for future movements toward being greener. They, also, participated in Earth Hour (an hour without power) to reflect on their own personal use.

Recycling group spoke to the Board of Selectmen on the issue ofhaving a bag ordinance in the town of York (and will continue to be involved with this issue), reducing the amount of grocery bags being given out at local stores. This group also, picked up 250 pieces of trash in thirty minutes around their school and was able to address this concern to their peers.

Crude Energy group were able to assess what energy is most useful and what the best practices are for energy use are. They had in-depth research and conducted interviews with people in the energy field. They wanted people to be more aware of how much of an impact cars have on the environment and that a few degrees cooler in your home can pay off more for the environment than people realize.

Results:

All students are walking away with a sense of personal impact. They are all more conscience of their carbon footprint and to reuse rather recycle: Reduce-Reuse-Repurpose!

Students: Tyson Matthews, Jakob Eneman, Timothy Perkins, Josh Pease, Haley Smith, Luca Danos, Kara Donovan, Molly Roher, Mary Kovec, Anna Donnelly, Jillian Dorazio, Sarah McSherry

Teacher: Liz Schambach

Names of people who made the video:

Crude Energy :Tyson Matthews, Jakob Eneman, Timothy Perkins, Josh Pease

Factories: Haley Smith, Luca Danos, Kara Donovan, Molly Roher

Recycling: Mary Kovec, Anna Donnelly, Jillian Dorazio, Sarah McSherry

Thoughts about this experience:

Students felt a sense of purpose and engagement because it all came from them. They chose their topics which made it more personal and accountable. While doing this challenge, students felt a sense of confidence, poise and drive to make an impact on their community and world. They have an idea that even though they are only one person, they still can make an impact as they continue to spread the word of the importance of the reducing the Carbon Footprint.

Quotations from students:

• "I work better in a group now."
• "It was a nice learning experience to learn new things from what you thought you knew."
• "It was nice to know that you can make a difference."
• "With normal research projects, there seems to be no outcome, but with this challenge, you got to do something."
• "Public speaking skills got better and more confident."
• "It was cool to go deeper into a specific topic."

Grace Lee Boggs has been interviewed numerous times on Democracy Now! Watch the interviews on Youtube. In one interview, Boggs said, "I think it's very difficult for someone who doesn't live in Detroit to say you can look at a vacant lot and, instead of seeing devastation, see hope ... see the opportunity to grow your own food, see an opportunity to give young people a sense of process, that's very difficult in the city, that the vacant lot represents the possibilities for a cultural revolution."

In the following video, Grace Lee Boggs discusses her book, The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism in the 21st Century.

The website for the documentary, Voices Across the Divide, offers a wide range of resources for anyone -- teachers and students especially -- interested in exploring issues related to the Israel - Palestine conflict. The purpose of the film, as explained by its directors, is to open a space for honest dialogue:

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is one of the most prominent, hot button debates in the US today. There is often little space for compassionate listening or deepening awareness. Access to information about the conflict is shaped by powerful forces and organizations. We believe a better future is possible based on mutual respect and knowledge.

We hope Voices Across the Divide will contribute to an open dialogue grounded in mutual respect, understanding, and political activism that leads to justice for all people in the region. Narrated by Alice Rothchild, an American Jew raised on the tragedies of the Holocaust and the dream of a Jewish homeland in Israel, Voices Across the Divide follows her personal journey as she begins to understand the Palestinian narrative, while exploring the Palestinian experience of loss, occupation, statelessness, and immigration to the US.

Resources include a Study Guide, interesting and revealing clips of the interviewees talking, resources for digging deeper into the history and the issues, a press kit and much more.

From the Democracy Now! website: At a ceremony unveiling a statue in her honor last month, President Obama called Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus a "singular act of disobedience." But nine months before Parks' historic action, a 15-year-old teenager named Claudette Colvin did the very same thing. She was arrested and her case led to the U.S. Supreme Court's order for the desegregation of Alabama's bus system. Now 73, Claudette Colvin joins us for a rare interview along with Brooklyn College Professor Jeanne Theoharis, author of the "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks." Theoharis says Parks' act of defiance may not have happened if not for Colvin's nine months before. Colvin says learning about African-American history in school inspired her act. "I could not move because history had me glued to the seat," she recalls telling the bus driver and the police officer who came to arrest her. "It felt like Sojourner Truth's hands were pushing down on one shoulder, and Harriet Tubman's hand pushing down on another shoulder."

This program, produced by the History Channel, tells the story of both Frank Serpico, the whistleblowing police officer, and Peter Maas, a journalist who wrote the Serpico's biography. Both have the chance to speak of their experiences in their own words.