March Newsletter/Earth Day Plan

Did you know that Baku was named the dirtiest city in the world?

Committee News

• The Environmental Blog is up with helpful websites, lesson plans and updates. Find it at: http://envcommaz.blogspot.com
• Environmental resources have been put in the lounge. We are working on organizing and making them available to PCVs.
• To contact the committee you no longer need to email each of us individually. Our group email is: ENVCOMM@gmail.com
• Check out our blog for information on the environmental Trans-Caucus Effort
• 2 new members from AZ5 will be selected this SUMMER, so expect applications in the coming months
  

Earth Day Plan

The Environmental Committee has created a simple plan for PCVs to follow for Earth Day (April 22nd). It's designed to help you lead small environmental activities in your community in honor of Earth Day. Attached are several lesson plans, a clean-up guide, and art project ideas to help you educate students and community members.

We thought a good way to get PCVs and their communities involved would be to hold a Nationwide Earth Day Art Contest. The attached posters outline the rules and should be used to announce the contest at schools, community centers, etc. Hard copies of the newsletter and the posters will also be included in your next bi-weekly mailer. The goal of the art contest is to inspire young people to think critically and creatively about Azerbaijan's environment: the good as well as the bad. Depending on the number of entries received, it will be up to you to pick the local winners and forward the best entries to the committee member nearest you. National winners will be picked at our meeting in early May.

Timetable:

1. Art Contest - Start Early! Introduce the contest ASAP and encourage students/community members to participate.
   
2. Earth Day Week – Use an environmental lesson/activity in your classes, and introduce the idea of doing a clean up. Collect final contest entries.
   
3. Weekend after Earth Day (April 26th) – Do a trash pick-up activity
   

The anticipated goal of the Earth Day Plan is to provide PCVs with simple ways to involve their communities in environmental activities in honor of Earth Day. Please email us (envcomm@gmail.com) if you choose to participate in order for us to get feedback on your outcomes.

You can download PC Azerbaijan developed Earth activities HERE