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Global Solutions Sought

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By JAMIE PILARCZYK, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 13, 2007

DOWNTOWN - Tampa Preparatory has been called to turn its students into global citizens.

As participants in the Challenge 20/20 program, independent schools worldwide are paired to work on solutions to global problems.

Tampa Prep's science department learned about the program, an initiative of the National Association of Independent Schools, in March 2006.

'Within five minutes we said, 'We have to do this,'' department chairman John Meese said.

Tampa Prep's middle school science curriculum focus is ecology. Classes are teamed with Marymount School of Medellín in Colombia to work on biodiversity and ecosystem losses.

'It ties in beautifully,' Meese said.

Ecology field trips have been a tradition at Tampa Prep, with sixth-graders taking their lessons to North Carolina and seventh-graders studying in the Florida Keys.

As the partner school relationship builds, Meese hopes to incorporate Tampa Prep's Spanish language program.

The upper school chemistry curriculum is environment-based; the basic-chemistry classes are paired with Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando and Digital Phase Youth in Kenya to study water deficits.

'This is a way to use real-life examples for the students to learn from,' upper school science teacher Stacia Perry-Eaton said, adding that all the topics are pertinent to Tampa.

Students from 39 states and 52 other countries conduct research, discuss results via e-mail and blogs, develop a plan and implement it on campus. Projects have included reducing trash by composting, testing for water pollution and preventing the spread of infectious diseases through the distribution of hand sanitizers and health education.

'They won't come up with the solution to solve the world right now, but they can start small by figuring out how to make an impact themselves,' Perry-Eaton said. 'It piques their interest and makes them more involved.'

The program is based on Jean-François Rischard's book 'High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them.' Schools choose to tackle one of the problems, such as deforestation, immigration, infectious diseases and poverty.

According to Rischard, almost 3 billion people - about half the world's population - live on less than $2 a day.

Tampa Prep staff read Rischard's book and wanted to implement its suggestions with their students. Part of the excitement, they said, stems from the school's core mission statement: A higher purpose than self.

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 835-2114 or jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com.

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