It's Great 'n Dayton

Dayton's Future Learns Brainy Can Be Fun!

At a time when Dayton needs positive media coverage (when doesn't it?) I was surprised that the following stories didn't draw more attention. Kids are our future and there are kids out there using their brains, getting a good education, who are also having fun doing it. We need to be doing more to encourage these types of activities and we definitely need to be doing more to link learning with being fun. We also need to follow up and make sure that students who participate in these activities have future opportunities as they mature. What happens when they get older? We want them to stay in Dayton. Hopefully these activities not only teach them their own potential but teach them that Dayton is a cradle of creativity where they can thrive.

photo from Dayton Daily News website (taken by Teesha McClam)

The events I'm talking about are TechFest and the Lego Robot Championships. Both events seem to be geared toward junior high and high school students. And get this, with the Lego Championship...there's another one in Atlanta (World Festival) and then another right back here at the Nutter Center in May (the US Championships). Who knew!?!

Congrats to these organizations, the students and to our area for reaching out in innovative ways to excite young people about science, technology, engineering and math.

Creative adults, on the other hand, should put their thinking caps on from a creative perspective and a science perspective. Dayton's Creative Class initiative is creating an event challenging people to Walk on Water!

Tom Hissong, A Dayton Original, Goes Green and Draws National Attention

Together Green and the Aullwood Audubon Center are happy to recognize a Fellow who will shape tomorrow, creating a positive environmental change. A Dayton, Ohio man is the recipient of a new national fellowship designed to advance the work of individuals with outstanding potential to help shape a brighter environmental future. Tom Hissong, who has been involved in conservation efforts for 32 years, is one of only 40 people selected from competitors nationwide for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program, part of a new conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society with support from Toyota.

Fellows receive specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with gifted conservation professionals, and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each Fellow will also receive $10,000 towards a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy, and contributing to greater environmental health. For his fellowship, Hissong will focus his efforts on piloting a new project named Plan-it Green that will engage students, teachers, and parents from Kiser Elementary School in Dayton, Ohio with challenging educational experiences focused on the planet. Students will participate in multiple field trips, conservation actions and scientific investigations at the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm north of Dayton. Through simple action projects like monitoring use of paper towels in classrooms / restrooms and investigating ways to reduce waste during lunch, students will become environmental stewards creating measurable conservation change and help lead their teachers, families, friends and communities in becoming more environmentally aware.  

The efforts of the Fellows will aid people and wildlife around 39 cities in 24 different states—a full list can be found at http://www.togethergreen.org/fellows.

You can join TogetherGreen on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/TogetherGreen/41852210819

Congratulations to Tom Hissong, Kiser School, and the Aullwood Audubon Center. What a terrific opporturtunity for young people in our community! And worthy of national attention too!