Pacific Palisades, CA January 24, 2011 - In a recent study conducted by Yale University, just 1 in 10 Americans believe they have a strong understanding of climate science, while 75% of Americans say that schools should teach our children about climate change.
In response, Protect Our Winters (POW), the environmental voice in snow sports, has teamed up with the Alliance For Climate Education (ACE), the national leader in high school climate science education, to create an engaging new climate change presentation for teens called“Hot Planet/Cool Athletes.”
Hot Planet/Cool Athletes is a customized version of the acclaimed ACE Assembly, a multimedia presentation that’s reached more than 600,000 high school students since 2009.This new winter sports presentation is available to any pro snow sports athlete interested in speaking to schools on behalf of climate change awareness/education. Hot Planet/Cool Athletes highlights athlete achievements and personal stories about the impact of climate change on winter sports and local mountain communities.
Students will learn climate science basics, potential effects on winter sports and mountain communities and will leave feeling inspired to take action in their own lives. Hot Planet/Cool Athletes is designed as a complete and easily executed package; making it easy for athletes with busy schedules to implement with an ACE Educator.
This week, Hot Planet/Cool Athletes is part of a host of special events happening in Colorado’s Roaring Fork valley high schools leading up to Winter X 15 in Aspen. During the five-days, Hot Planet/Cool Athletes is slated to reach 2000+ students. Assemblies will continue throughout 2011.
Athletes/Events include:
-Olympic Silver Medalist and four-time X Games Gold Medalist Gretchen Bleiler will visit her hometown high school of Aspen High School in Aspen, CO on January 26th
-Five-time X Games Gold Medalist Nate Holland will address an all-student assembly at Basalt High School alongside Seth Wescott on January 25th
-Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and three-time X Games Silver Medalist Seth Wescott joins his competitor and friend (Holland) in presenting at Basalt High School on January 25th
-Pro freeskier Sage Cattabriga-Alosa will meet with over 400 students at Roaring Fork High School in Roaring Fork, CO on January 28th
“Part of POW’s mission is to make sure that the next generation is better equipped to address climate change. As athletes, we now have a relevant platform to reach young students and create a movement of passionate youth leaders,” said Jeremy Jones, POW’s Founder and professional snowboarder.
Jones, who is one of the world’s top freeriders and nine-time Big Mountain Snowboarder of the Year, witnessed first-hand the impact of climate change on our mountains and believes that pro athletes can effectively leverage their visibility and influence to inspire activism amongst the winter sports community. It is upon this same ideal that the collaborative presentation was born; Hot Planet/Cool Athletes conveys the climate crisis through the eyes of pro snow athletes in a voice that resonates with teens.
“Mountain communities have been hard hit by climate change in the form of shorter ski seasons, deforestation and more,” said Pic Walker, executive director at ACE. “Winter athletes really bring it home for high school students with personal stories about the impacts of climate change that directly affect their lives. Together, we can inspire a generation to make sure there’s still snow to shred.”
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