"It's All Connected" for a Student Making a Difference

When high school student Delaney Evans entered an essay contest which asked how a book ‘has inspired you to help the earth,’ she chose to write about It’s All Connected: A Comprehensive Guide to Global Issues and Sustainable Solutions. Her essay, “Our Future Awaits,” focuses on the need for education that makes people think more globally and discuss difficult issues around which they can feel empowered to take action. She feels that curriculum which is challenging and engaging and that affects students personally also can create a long-term impact.  She asserts, “It’s All Connected is a great teaching resource that influences and inspires the youth of tomorrow to be globally minded citizens.” Delaney’s essay went on to win first place in the 2010-2011 Student Essay Contest for San Diego high schools when it was chosen from some 2000 submissions. She continued to pursue her desire to take action by creating a public service announcement to educate others about lessening ecological footprints, volunteering to teach children how to care for animals and by participating in multi-generational projects with Meals-on-Wheels, a non-profit organization that delivers food to the elderly. See the full text of her essay, below.

Our Future Awaits

Imagine a world where global warming doesn’t occur, where fossil fuels remain widely abundant, where poverty and hunger do not exist and children do not have to die from starvation or disease. I have imagined such a world after reading It’s All Connected by Benjamin Wheeler. I dreamt of a world where overpopulation, over consumption, desertification, deforestation, and threats to biodiversity did not exist or force so many to ask difficult questions. It was my pleasure and great opportunity to learn directly from Benjamin Wheeler. (and I believe his book) is a crucial resource to raising globally minded youth who will seek opportunity to take action in their own lives; to bring positive change for our world now, and for future generations, to inherit.

It’s All Connected  informs readers about these issues in a straightforward fashion. It was published by a nonprofit organization called Facing the Future that focuses on educating youth about sustainability. It’s All Connected is an astonishing non-fiction book that teaches the positive impact of sustainable practices on a diverse range of real world concerns; including politics, economics, ecology, and society/community. By combining information, concepts, history and inspirational real world examples, it teaches sustainable solutions for our future. The book covers topics from U.S.’s foreign policy on oil to a woman helped through a community microcredit program in Rwanda. Finally, this book inspires teenagers to take action in their own lives, and make a difference in the world they, and the next generation, will inherit.

I believe many teenagers have the ability to directly lead positive change. It’s All Connected shares stories of youth in action who are building a sustainable future. The book exemplifies the value of direct involvement by using actual projects of leadership, and giving information about organizations youth can become involved with. One of the more inspiring stories of sustainability involves the role youth took in creating a sustainable government. The work of William Upski Wimsatt to improve voter turn out in the 2000 presidential election is a great example of youth taking action. He founded the League of Hip-Hop Voters, which greatly increased youth involvement in government through voting, and led a national movement with organizations such as Rock the Vote and Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. It’s All Connected also gives information about national organizations such as Global Visionaries.

This nonprofit organization provides opportunities to U.S. students to travel to Guatemala. Before the trip the students learn about concepts such as their ecological footprint and how theirs compares to one of a Guatemalan’s. Through this experience students learn the importance of promoting social and environmental justice in both their communities and abroad. After experiencing the lives of people in a developing world, they begin to understand how often youth in the United States take for granted their opportunities and privileges. Global Visionaries help to enrich students’ global perspectives and confidence in becoming active leaders and global citizens. It’s All Connected helps teenagers understand that both grassroots organizations and national non-profit organizations are resources they can utilize to make a difference in their own communities.

By reading the stories of teens who took action in their own communities, this book has inspired me to do the same. I have become aware that in spite of my seemingly small impact in such a large and global world, my actions and the actions of everyone I know, can affect Global consumption, political systems, ecological stability, and the health of communities and societies. It’s All Connected has inspired me to become aware of my ecological footprint, and do little things in my everyday life to work towards a sustainable future. It changed my perspective; I have internalized a desire to teach others about environmental issues and take action in my community. I have taken action on my desires by making a cinematographic public service announcement in which fellow students and parents were taught about the importance of sustainability and reducing their ecological footprints.

Over the summer I spent 140 hours volunteering at camps to teach children the importance of helping and caring for animals. During this time, I also worked to help clean up beaches and educate fellow volunteers about the environment. Finally, part of those hours were spent helping children at a water sports camp learn the importance of doing sustainable activities outside. Currently, I am working on a leadership project for the recipients of Meals-on-Wheels, a non-profit organization that delivers food to the elderly. This project will enable the elderly to share their experiences with younger generations and help sustain literacy. Specifically, I am designing composition notebooks for the elderly to use to pass on their ideas while promoting literacy amongst the youth who will benefit from their writings and learn valuable life lessons. Thankfully, this book has inspired me to help sustain the world future generations will inherit, and I know it will do the same for other teenagers.

It’s All Connected is a great teaching resource that influences and inspires the youth of tomorrow to be globally minded citizens. For humanity to carry on in a productive, safe and more equitable manner, the coming generation will need to understand the significance of sustainable practices. It’s All Connected has the ability to present global issues to youth in a manner that is relevant to what they observe as challenges that need to be addressed. The book gives guidance and explains practical sustainable solutions. This book is beneficial to teenagers in particular because it specifically connects to the lives of youth. It’s All Connected has made a tremendous impact in my life both as a global citizen, a student and a consumer. The principles of Facing the Future should be relayed in every education system throughout the world.