Goal

The participating children from over 20 different countries get together to talk about the environmental issues in their countries, share the feeling of oneness , the thought that the earth we live on should be protected with combined efforts despite the differences in each other�fs environment, culture and sense of values.

On the last day of the meeting, the children would send out their messages for protecting the environment to the world.

Special features of the Youth Summit

• Environmental education.
• Foster a better understanding of the environmental problems.
• To raise a positive posture for the solution of environmental problems after recognizing that it is not individualized but a common problem

International exchange

• Exchanging learning�fs with people of same age from overseas leads to a better understanding of a different culture, different sense of values and fosters wide view of thinking ability.
• Realizing that environmental problem is not one�fs own affair but is connected to the world�fs problem which has to be shared.
• Fostering Communications skills to express one�fs ideas to the others.

Collaborative learning

Collaborative learning strengthens one's sense of unity and solidarity.As they go along group activity with helping each other , they will learn the rule, find their role and how to harmonize with others in a group.

Support by high school and university student facilitators

• At the international conference held based on English, facilitators�f support will be effective to encourage the participating children to express their inner thoughts even if they don�ft speak English well. They will be encouraged for better understanding of others�f opinions.
• The university student and high school student facilitators can understand and share the juniors feeling. They can open children's minds because the participants are close to their age.
• Original guidance by a young sensibility grips children's minds, and is effective also in the point to draw out a conception and an opinion unrestricted to them.
• Facilitator training is held at the pace of once a month until the meeting to sharpen the skills, provide good guidance to bring out the ideas from an environmental group and understand an environmental problem.

Group work with facilitators

1. Groups of 8 to 10 members will be made so that it would be effective for the participants to have a lot of chances to express their ideas.
2. Facilitators will support the group work.
3. Role of facilitators:
• Promote smooth and fine exchange among group members: interpreter, caring mind and timely encouragements
• Work for children to have higher concern for environment: Problem discovery tour and workshop.
• Facilitate children to produce a clearer message about the environment: Use of work-sheet.
• Promote a lot of conversation among each other through the collaborative learning.

Utilization of iEARN forum

We have created the following �gEco Youth Forum�h to promote smooth exchange and follow up study for the participants:

Rough Schedule of the prior and follow up learning:

1. Self Introduction
2. Sharing the video or articles and exchange the description, impressions with each other.
3. Exchange the environmental problem in each country and share the opinion
4. Announcing their idea to act out for the environmental issue and exchange impressions with each other.

The specification statement is brought out at the G8 Summit of Environment by the participating children. They also send it out to the world through the press and web site.

The attention of the mass communication and adults is pulled, to rope in the interest and concerns of all the people towards "Global environmental problems".

The poster session:

Each of the participants draws the content of the announcement in the regulation size (poster level), and exhibits his activity introductions. It is an open forum for the exchange of ideas with the conference participants.

Planning and participation from the foreign countries

1. G8:-- France, Italy, U.K., Germany, U.S.A., Canada, Russia, + Five: Brazil, India / China / South Africa and Mexico.
2. Others: Bangladesh (surface of the sea rise / cyclone / a flood / filthy water / an infectious disease.)
3. Indonesia (a peat fire / deforestation)
4. Nepal (the Himalayas glacier dissolution / a rip)
5. Mongolia (desertification / manhole children)
6. Australia (warming / Great Barrier Reef)
7. Kenya�iFlood �j
8. Iran / Taiwan (program administration cooperation)

20 countries:--

60 people (two children and one adult).

Important Note:

1. Invitation age: 10 years old ~ 15 years old.
2. One boy and one girl and one leader,3 people from each country.
3. Expenses covered by the host:

• Domestic transportation fee from an airport to an airport.
• Flight charges.
• Hotel accommodation and meals

The iEARN country coordinator who is asked for the selection gives a participant name by the middle of February. The participation is asked to participate in iEARN "ECO Youth Forum" as Online Pre-Study / Post Study sequentially.

The participating number of people :

1. About 215
2. Japanese participants after the selection by the open call for participants �F �@
3. 30 people in Japan,
4. iEARN�FOverseas 20 countries (40 children, leading 20)60 people in total
5. British-Council�F About 75 (about 50 from overseas and staff)
6. Facilitators and volunteers: About 50(20 facilitators and 30 volunteers)