AHS to Send Delegation to Environmental Sustainability Summit in Costa Rica

     Plans are underway to organize a student delegation of 11th and 12th grade students from Andover High School to attend an Environmental Sustainability Summit next March in San Jose, Costa Rica.  The two day summit is organized by EF Education and will include five additional days of travel within Costa Rica to gain an awareness of the different ways organizations in this country are addressing issues of maintaining biodiversity and promoting environmental sustainability.

     Prior to attending the summit on March 21-22, students will visit the Tortugeuro Sea Turtle Conservation area as well as other conservation projects in the Arenal region of Costa Rica, famous for its spectacular volcano.  The itinerary includes tours and speakers as well as opportunities to get to know the natural beauty of Costa Rica from whitewater rafts and forest canopy zip lines.

     A highlight of the program will be the two day Environmental Sustainability Summit featuring keynote speaker world-known conservationist Jane Goodall.  In addition to workshops and presentations by prominent presenters, Andover students will join groups of students from other states and countries to work together developing and proposing solutions to environmental problems and challenges presented by the summit organizers.

     Planning for the trip is underway and being coordinated with staff from EF Education.  The plan is for Stephen Sanborn, PreK-12 Science Program Advisor, and Melanie Cutler, science teacher at Andover High School, to lead a group of 12 students to the summit and related travel.  The Global Summit initiative is a relatively new program offered by EF Education and this trip to the Environmental Sustainability Summit in Costa Rica will serve Andover High School as a pilot to help evaluate the possibility of attending other annual EF summits in the future focused on themes such as Innovation, Human Rights, and the Future of Energy and taking place in locations around the globe that provide rich settings for exploring the designated theme.
     Information about the Environmental Sustainability Summit in Costa Rica can be easily accessed by visiting a web site established specifically for the AHS group at http://www.eftours.com/1632002HU.  

     There will be an informational meeting for parents and students interested in learning more about this program on Tuesday, September 23, at 6:30 pm in the Andover High School Media Center.  A representative from EF Education will be attend to present an informational program and answer questions.