www.AALF.org

In March, students and teachers from across Asia Pacific met in Singapore. The event, hosted by Microsoft, involved renowned author J.F. Rischard, Mike Furdyk and educational thought leaders from across the world. The purpose of the event was to allow educators and learners to plan a new, student directed global learning project to solve one of the top 20 global issues identified in the book “High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 years to solve them”. The topic chosen was Deforestation. The challenge – to solve it – using any means possible, and by uniting youth from across the planet to collaboratively create powerful solutions. Schools involved in this initiative have done so thus far in a pilot phase. The project opens up to the global community this January.

DeforestAction was created to provide a new model for how technology can allow true 21st century learning to happen globally. It is an evolving model designed to engage, inspire and transform the young people in schools across the world, and to give them a voice, along with the tools they need to shape the world they will inherit. DeforestAction was established in order to empower young people worldwide to become inspired by working to fight deforestation. To be informed about the issues and politics surrounding deforestation, and actively become involved in finding a solution.

Through the DeforestACTION lessons, students have the opportunity to:

- Create local, national and international entrepreneurial initiatives that protect and regrow endangered forests;

- Collaborate in new ways across borders to find creative ways to save endangered animals, including orang-utans, and build a new model for global conservation;

- Develop local projects related to the theme of deforestation, unique to their school and community, which support the global project in exciting and innovative ways.

The overall pedagogical aims and objectives of DeforestACTION are to:

- Help develop global citizenship by encouraging learners to collaborate on a global platform to solve global problems.

- Provide opportunities review and evaluate the causes, impacts and politics of deforestation at the local and global level.

- Encourage learners to analyze, using deforestation as an example, how to plan and organize for global issues using collaborative technology.

- Introduce learners to proven structured action plans by engaging in interactive activities and taking part in valuable discussions with peers and mentors.