SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /eNewsChannels/ — On Saturday, April 16th, 2011, nearly 700 middle and high school students, teachers, volunteers, parents, and community leaders from around the Bay Area will convene at San Francisco State University to participate in The Ninth Annual World Affairs Challenge™, hosted by global education non-profit World Savvy in partnership with San Francisco State University’s College of Education.
The theme for this year’s World Affairs Challenge™ is “Food: Feeding the World Sustainably in the 21st Century.” More than 700 students from 20 schools around the Bay Area have been working for the past several months to research and develop solutions to issues as diverse as the environmental impact of food production to the impact of food prices on global hunger. On April 16th, 300 of these students will share their perspectives on these important issues with their peers and adults who serve as observers and judges.
“California is home to over 80,000 farms, yet here in San Francisco, 200,000 residents rely on food banks to feed their families, and last year alone over 40 million pounds of food was distributed to people in need,” Explains world Savvy’s Executive Director, Dana Mortenson, There is no question that food is a critical local issue. The World Affairs Challenge™ presents a unique opportunity for students to study this global issue with significant local implications by exploring a variety of perspectives and working with their peers to develop creative local, national and global solutions.”
Challenge Day will kick off at 9 a.m. in San Francisco State University’s Gymnasium with opening remarks from Dana Mortenson and Dr. Robert A. Corrigan, President of San Francisco State University. They will be followed by a Keynote address from Nikki Henderson, Executive Director of People’s Grocery. During the day, students will present their research and solutions to judges from the community in the form of formal presentations and visual solutions showcases, on display throughout the day in the San Francisco State University gymnasium. Students will also participate in a collaborative problem-solving activity that challenges their teamwork, critical thinking and communication skills. The day will close with an Awards Ceremony, where students will receive recognition for their work.
World Savvy launched the World Affairs Challenge program in the Bay Area in 2003. Program sponsors this year include the Wallace Genetic Foundation, Acre Gourmet, The Global Film Initiative, and KTVU Fox 2.
For more information, contact Taylor Watson at taylor@worldsavvy.org or call 203-246-3172.
About World Savvy:
World Savvy’s mission is to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs, to prepare youth to learn, work and thrive in the 21st century. A national leader in global education, World Savvy provides interdisciplinary academic and arts programs for youth and dynamic professional development for educators to help the next generation of leaders and changemakers acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for responsible global citizenship in the 21st century. For more information, visit www.worldsavvy.org .
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