PTPI Blog

GYF delegates in front of the U.S. Capitol on the top level of the Newseum

Nonstop rain caused a slight change of plans for the morning, so after breakfast, instead of heading to Fort Dupont Park for a humanitarian project with the Anacostia Watershed Society, the Anacostia people came to give a presentation on their work.  Their mission is to protect and restore the Anacostia River and its watershed communities by cleaning the water, recovering the shores and honoring the heritage.  While the delegates were sorry to miss the chance to donate their time to helping to restore the river bank, they enjoyed learning about the importance of conserving and protecting our rivers.

The surprise addition to the itinerary was a trip to one of D.C.’s newest museums, the Newseum.  Two hours was barely enough to see the incredible amount of interactive information covering five centuries of news history but the visit was a hit…and everyone seemed okay with being out of the rain that fell all morning.

After lunch at the hotel, the delegation groups met for their fourth session, “Are You Buying This?”  Students worked in groups and created and presented mock TV commercials for products linked to unsustainable or unhealthy behaviors.  They presented twice; first as they would typically be seen on television and second through the lens of sustainability.  Later they reviewed their own energy and water consumption habits and created commercials for alternative products that would use those resources in a sustainable manner.

PTPI's Mary Jean Eisenhower and Sarah Houston look over Dr. Wackernagel's Ecological Footprint information

In the late afternoon, Sam Brou, president of the Pensecola (Turning Tides), Florida Student Chapter, introduced Mathis Wackernagel, PhD, Executive Director of the Global Footprint Network.  He started his presentation with a video that stressed the need to remember that there is only one planet earth and led to the main question behind his talk: can we live well on one planet earth?  Dr. Wackernagel discussed the depletion of natural resources and introduced the Ecological Footprint (of which he is co-creator), a balance sheet that compares how much nature we have to how much nature we use.  He spoke of two tools that would increase the students’ ability to make a difference: 1. ask good questions and 2. be able to roll your eyes (but use that one sparingly).

Following dinner, Mary Jean Eisenhower, president and CEO of PTPI, greeted the students and gave a brief history of PTPI and its founder, her grandfather, President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  She showed a presentation which included several personal photos of her grandfather throughout history, and spoke of his ability to always find a solution, from becoming a cheerleader when sidelined by a knee injury at West Point to creating PTPI after witnessing the atrocities of the concentration camps after WWII.

To close the evening, the international delegates took the stage for the fourth annual Ambassador Charles Hostler International Student Panel.  Seven students from Bulgaria, Jordan, Colombia, Macedonia, United States, Israel and South Africa responded to questions from their peers about their countries, cultures, beliefs and lifestyles.  The delegation groups met briefly to discuss the panel before heading to bed to rest up for day four.

View more photos from the GYF on PTPI’s Facebook Page.