The 9th Annual Roots & Shoots Conference took place November 18th and 19th at Science North. At this two-day bilingual conference, elementary and secondary school students and teachers from Sudbury and surrounding areas gathered to learn, care, act and connect.

Participants took part in interactive workshops and created action plans. They also had the opportunity to listen to two brilliant keynote speakers: Marc Kielburger (English) and Jerry Clout (French).

Some of the workshops included:

• The Forgotten R's: Reduce and Reuse
• Animal Rehabilitation
• Veggie Cooking
• "Patrick4Life"
• Light Up Costa Rica
• Animal Rehabilitation

The purpose of the Roots & Shoots Conference at Science North is to instill in each participant the belief that they can make a positive difference in the world. Students who attend are chosen as ambassadors for their school due to their motivational and leadership qualities. Upon returning to their schools, they are asked to work with their classmates to implement their action plans.

A big thank you goes out to Franco Mariotti, Bruce Doran, Dan Chaput, Christine Bigras and the rest of the Science North staff for organizing such a wonderful event. We look forward to collaborating again next year for the conference's 10th anniversary, which is promising to be an event you won't want to miss!

For photos from the 2008 conference, visit our album on Facebook.

The first day of the Sustainability Conference consisted of an educational trade show and a meet & greet, where students interacted with representatives from various organizations, including JGI Canada, Oxfam, and World Vision. The second day was full of workshops, presented by speakers from around the country. The purpose of these sessions was to raise awareness and challenge students and teachers to promote action both locally and globally.

As a follow-up to the conference, participants are invited to Bedford Road Collegiate on Earth Day (April 22, 2009) to showcase their sustainable projects.

Dr. Ryan Walker represented JGI Canada and Roots & Shoots at the conference. Ryan is the Chair of the Regional & Urban Planning Program in the Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Saskatchewan. This is what he had to say about the conference:

"I had the pleasure of speaking with a lively group of about 30 Saskatoon high school students about the Roots & Shoots Program and the Jane Goodall Institute. After sharing a greeting from Dr. Jane, we watched a video clip that gave an overview of Dr. Jane's work and where Roots & Shoots fits into her life. Following a brief discussion of the goals of Roots & Shoots I provided examples of projects that have been carried out by groups across Canada and the USA. We spoke about the benefits of linking into a global network of groups with similar goals to transform the world for humans, animals and the environment. We discussed Project Blue, the 2009 Roots & Shoots water campaign and articulated ideas for local projects. All in all, it was a big success and the participants and organizers of the conference deserve our congratulations."

Accordingly, a big congratulation goes out to Sheelah Mclean and Tracey Laverty for supporting youth in working towards a sustainable future!

April 15 will be a busy day for Dr. Jane. In the morning she will make an appearance at the Roots & Shoots Youth for Action Workshop, and in the evening she will be giving a public lecture. Stay tuned for details about the lecture, where you will be able to listen to Jane's reasons for hope, meet her, have a book signed, and have your picture taken together.

Planning for the Youth for Action workshop (YFA) in Ottawa is already underway. YFAs go beyond motivating youth to learn about issues facing their local and global communities by helping them design, lead, and implement their own projects that address personal areas of concern. Targeted to youth aged 13-18, workshop sessions explore a variety of topical issues, provide training on how to develop action plans to turn knowledge into practice, and focus on how to convey messages using media and publicity.

If you're interested in getting involved in the YFA in Ottawa, either as a participant or a facilitator, please send us an email. To read more about previous YFAs, visit our News & Events page to learn more about the one that was held in Vancouver in April 2008.

If you're in the Ottawa area, be sure to check out the awesome 6,000 square foot exhibit, "Discovering Chimpanzees: the remarkable world of Jane Goodall" at the Canadian Museum of Nature. The exhibit will run from January 28 to May 3, 2009.