Salem Oregon`s Jane Goodall Environmental Middle (Charter) School Has Sister-School in Costa Rica

One World Youth Project is run by youth for youth and includes an international volunteer staff of 22 -all are under the age of 24

The charter school is for kids who like being outdoors and are willing to get their hands dirty. Photo: JGEMS

(SALEM) - The Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School (JGEMS) in Salem, Oregon has kicked off its third year of global service and cross-cultural communication through One World Youth Project- a global sister-school program connecting 44 schools in 17 countries. This year, the Salem school is paired with the Country Day School of Escazu, Costa Rica.

The Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School is a charter school housed at Waldo Middle School in Salem, Oregon, focusing on environmental science and community service.

This cultural exchange with the school in Costa Rica supports the goals of JGEMS to provide an engaging and meaningful focus for students to achieve Oregon academic standards. Through partnerships like this with community and governmental organizations, an integrated curriculum design and an emphasis on field-based projects, students can actively apply their knowledge and skills as they improve local and global environments.

The One World Youth Project (OWYP) is a unique educational program for middle and high school students, linking schools in the US and Canada with groups from around the world in learning partnerships. The students will work with their sister-school over the course of an academic year to explore and tackle the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s).

The eight goals, agreed upon by the world’s nations in 2000, are targeted to be achieved by 2015. The MDG’s address shared global challenges such as, HIV/AIDS, lack of education, or gender inequality. One World Youth Project’s philosophy is that through cultural exchange, youth are inspired to take positive action. One World Youth Project is run by youth for youth and includes an international volunteer staff of 22 -all are under the age of 24.

With its focus on field-based science, JGEMS is an ideal program for students who like being outdoors. Students get their hands dirty, work beyond regular school hours during certain field projects, and work hard to improve our environment both locally and globally.

With only 90 students in the school, students work well with others, both in the classroom and in the field. They go on extended overnight field trips to camp at the study sites, as environmental restoration projects and field studies are a critical part of the JGEMS experience, giving the students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a variety of field settings. JGEMS students are partnering with a number of organizations to provide the students with the best resources and expertise as they take their learning out into the field.

Youth of JGEMS and the Country Day School in Costa Rica communicate through online message-boards, email, letters, cultural exchange packages, and monthly curriculum assignments. Over the past four months, the youth have been learning about their focus UN Millennium Development Goal. The two schools are learning about MDG 7: ensure environmental sustainability. In the coming months students in Salem will work with the Country Day students to design and implement a local community service project related to protecting and preserving the environment. For more information about One World Youth Project, or learn more about the JGEMS, visit: One World Youth Project or The Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School (JGEMS)