Clinton School students Sarah Leer, Gralon Johnson, Harvell Howard and Ashley Davis presented a workshop at the EAST Initiative Conference on Thursday in Hot Springs titled, “Peel the Onion: Uncovering the layers of public service.” The conference, geared toward middle and high school students, focuses on ways to use technology to address issues in the students’ local communities.
The Clinton School workshop challenged students to identify the various forms that public service can take and to envision how to make public service a career. After initial discussion, the students were presented with a problem:
You’re working with a non-profit that installs energy-efficient retrofits for low-income homeowners. How do you use your skills to communicate the importance of energy-saving measures (such as using CFL light bulbs and programmable thermostats) to homeowners in order to reduce their energy bills and their environmental footprint?
The students split into four groups and brainstormed solutions to this problem that they could carry out based on the technology and skills that they have access to in the EAST Initiative. Solutions they came up with included commercials and public advertising, enlisting public officials to spread the message, text message campaigns, refrigerator magnets and reminders to place throughout the homes.
Some students proposed using statistical data in conjunction with quality presentation to demonstrate to homeowners their potential energy savings in monetary and environmental terms. Finally, students suggested reaching the homeowners through their children, starting awareness programs in local schools and using young people to educate their parents.
Clinton School alum Sarah Argue is the Director of Development for the EAST Initiative in Arkansas. For more information, visit www.eastproject.org.