The Big Finale...

Tomorrow students reveal their plans for the future of their Earth Tomorrow Clubs, but earlier in the week I and the mentors talked about the weeks and what we expected...

Edet Unanaowo

Georgia State University recent graduate

The week so far has been very informative and exciting for me. I have gained interest in the type of life styles and issues that we have in the United States and in the world. So far I have been inspired to grow my own garden when I am able to obtain a place where I can call my own. Although I am not pursuing a career in the environmental field but I would like to play my own part for our world by going green and using my right to vote for policies that support environmental justice because it is everyone’s right to enjoy the world and we have the right to fight to keep the world, as beautiful as it is, to stay beautiful like God made it and to not destroy the beauty that many would wish to see for themselves one day. I look forward to learning more about my local area and contribute my own part for the beauty of our world.

Alyssa Combs

Senior at Georgia State University majoring in Geography

                The beginning of my week at the Earth Tomorrow Institute has been filled with new, modified, and astounding information and expectations. Even though I am a peer mentor, I feel like a student and discovering so much information that I vaguely knew about and others that I didn’t know at all. I have been reminded about what our goal is as Earth Tomorrow, why it is so important to get people of color outdoors, and revamped to the cause and mission for a future that is more sustainable and fair for all. I also really enjoyed learning about the local and organic gardens. I knew that being organic was healthier for the human body but I didn’t understand the importance of interaction between the people in the neighborhood and how these meetings help to build a stronger community. I am very interested in growing my own garden as well as composting so that I can have the security that the food I prepare for my family will be healthy for the future ahead.

James Blackburn II,

Incoming freshman at North Carolina A&T State University

                The first day I would have to say was an allover success the kids have been very active and knowledgeable and my take on them is that the involvement is awesome. And as though I am a peer mentor and have experienced the same things as before I know that there is more to know. My overall outlook for the week is in the simplest terms busy. I will be coming more in the tail end of the day and meetings helping organize the next day’s activities because of my internship with the Atlanta Bar Association but it shows that the moral and cultivating of the young minds in this institute is that important to me that any little bit I am able to help I will. But I hope that all of the student’s outlook on how to change their environment and community will drastically change and make them trailblazers in the world for tomorrow.

Naama Johnson

Incoming freshman at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

As a new peer mentor this year for the Earth Tomorrow 2012 Summer Institute I would say so far the students have been very proactive, enthusiastic and open-minded. My hope is for all the students to leave the camp as I did last year, ready and eager to be more involved and active in the community and ready to help contribute to an ET club at their school or start one. My expectations for the students is to let this  program be the foundation for the start of a new beginning, I hope each students leaves Earth Tomorrow Summer Institute 2012 learning something new about the Atlanta community and for them to make the connections needed to help them  further their aspirations and goals in their community.

Lyndon B Habersham Jr.

Junior at Fort Valley State University

I have enjoyed the new additions to the program as far as going to an organic farm or going to the farmers market. I enjoy having the chance to come back as a mentor and experience something new. When I was a student attending the program I was eager to learn what I could and enhance my own Earth Tomorrow program at my high school at the time, Frederick Douglass High School. Since my graduation in 2009 I’ve been happy to see that the club has not disbanded but has remained strong and hopefully, despite the recent graduation of my successor, the club continues to flourish under new management. I myself am currently looking for a way to bring the Earth Tomorrow Club to the collegiate level at my college. Once there I plan to ensure its stability and take what I’ve learned from the summer institute and earth tomorrow to further develop the organization.

Melissa Vega

Georgia Perimeter College

As the week has been developing, I have enjoyed every activity we have done. I am extremely excited to be a mentor once again this year. Being a part of students’ experience at the institute is a great honor. The Earth Tomorrow Institute has been a life changer for myself and has opened doors for me any many directions. In other words, I hope that the students attending the Earth Tomorrow Institute gain the motivation and inspiration I have obtained from the program.  

Victor Le

Georgia Piedmont technical college

Since this week has been passing, I’m always very ecstatic to be a peer mentor again this summer. I’m always looking forward to help out NWF and Mrs. Na’Taki. Helping out the students is a great pleasure of mine because the experiences help me to grow as a person. While the experience of being a peer mentor is fun as always, the earth tomorrow institute has opened up many opportunities for me.  Like when the students asked for my help I tried to the best of my ability to assist them to with anything, answering their questions and checking their assignment.  

Ari Holt

Kennesaw State University

I became involved in the Earth Tomorrow Program as a rising high school junior during the summer institute. I initially had no idea what the program was really about or what would be required. The summer institute was my first opportunity to camp out and I absolutely loved it! I also learned important things about the environment that I was shocked I never learned in school. I also made friends with other Earth Tomorrow students from mine own school that I had never met. Earth Tomorrow was the first experience I had that led me to become a more conscious person. Since that first summer, I have worked with NWF and Earth Tomorrow during the year and six of the seven the summers since then. I hope my participation those weeks and particularly this week, has helped the students to be inspired to enjoy their surroundings more and work hard to protect it.

But the fun doesn't end here in just one week from Saturday on June the 23rd the Outdoor Activity Center will be hosting its 2nd annual Great American Backyard camp out for families who want to experience the thrill of being in the outdoors. I personally will be there and will be making interviews for families!

The Great outdoors and College Fairs

On Wednesday students traveled to Panola Mountain State Park to become ones with wilderness. Once there they were able to experience Fishing, Tree Climbing, and Archery. A couple students even managed to  catch fish, reach new heights, and land targets right on the spot!

Once the fun festivities died down we chowed down on some grilled burgers and dogs then listened to a presenter from REI on "Leave No Trace". Students learned about leaving nothing but a foot print and leaving nature untouched. REI was also nice enough to provide us with tents and sleeping bags and then it was 'Tent Pitching' time!!

So I managed to sit with 3 first time participant to the Summer Institute, Angelena Johnson, Michela Hizine and Simon and see what she liked or didn't like about camping, here's what she had to say...

Were you excited to be going camping? 

" Well yeah I was really excited to go because it was my first time going and it was a new experience . "-Angelena Johnson

Which of the three activities did you enjoy the during the day and why?

" Mostly I liked fishing because the water was really serene. It was calming and relaxing, plus I was able to catch a couple of minnows "-Angelena Johnson

Would you ever go camping again on your own?

" Based on the experience I had I would consider going camping again because it was really invigorating and opened my eyes to new possibilities. "-Angelena Johnson

How did you feel about your experience outdoors?

" Well i felt it to be a new exp at first i thought that I would enjoy it but after a while it became quite intriguing and i began to enjoy it with the exception to the ticks. "-Michela Hizine


Have you ever been or thought about going camping before why?

" No not at all. I never really thought I was much the camping type. "-Michela Hizine

Do you think this an experience you'd do again?

I" i think I'd try the mountain climbing and the hiking again, but the camping was just not for me."-Michela Hizine

What didn't you like about camping?

" What i didn't like about camping was the tick scare. I also woke up in the middle of the night to a gigantic moth beating its wings against the side of the tent. I was quite panicked. "-Michela Hizine


What was the most interesting thing about your camping experience?

" Its probably having hands on experience in outdoor camping and cleaning up the river. "-Simon Chang

Have you been camping before?

" Yes, I went with my church in a youth group then it was a type of camping site where they had no toilets."-Simon Chang

Which activity did you do that you liked the most?

" Probably fishing, it was relaxing then there was shade so it wasn't that hot. "-Simon Chang


Once back on Georgia Tech campus and well fed and showered we headed to the campus's student center where students received a presentation of the college application and financial aid process and college environmental careers. Then we went back to our favorite Outdoor Activity Center for our service project where students were pulling weeds, planting, mulching, removing invasive plants, and finally planting native plants.

The day was long and got even longer when we all attempted to go swimming as a self congratulatory way of relaxing but the fire alarm went off and we ended up having to cancel the swimming. Hopefully tomorrow before the reception we can allow the kids go swimming.

A Toast to the Environment...

The day began with students hearing from many presenters. Some touched on various topics from Dirty Energy Choices, Environmental Justice, and Communication Skills. I wanted to know what a first time student, got from the presentations.

Which presenter was most interesting?

" Darryl Haddock gave several interesting lessons on environmental injustice and how it negatively impacts low income and colored communities.  Not only was Mr. Haddock informative, but he really communicated with the participants in a fun way.  It was easy to laugh along with him and he made his lessons easy to comprehend and at the same time chock full of wonderful information. "-Nhi Tran

What made their presentation better than any of the others that you saw?

" Mr. Haddock's presentations were very eye opening and for me, it was like a slap of reality.  The demonstrations of the communities that have been impacted by pollution and illegal dumping has really made me realize how large scale these problems are.  At the same time, his teachings have truly inspired me to change communities for the better, even if it is something as simple as picking up trash, because no one in any place should live in a trash filled dump where they are at a higher risk for physical diseases and psychological diseases. "-Nhi Tran

Was there anything they could have worked on to make it better?

" There is only one thing I can suggest, and that is better time management.  Usually we have everything planned out but sometimes it goes a little off course.  For example, when we visited the creek, he planned for us to measure the size, flow, and appearance of the creek; however, it took a little too long and we could not complete what we had planned to do. "-Nhi Tran


Earlier today we did a toxic tour of Atlanta and saw areas impacted not by just pollution but by political factors that cause people to be moved out of their homes as known with the Bowen Homes area. I asked a first time student how she felt about what she saw...

How did you feel about the abandoned apartment houses filled with trash?

"Reading the words, 'Save Me' spray painted on the side of the buildings really made me sad. It made me realize that people who lived there were torn from their houses that they loved and cherished. Also, seeing how poorly people treated the property ,by throwing trash, couches, clothes and even hot tubs in the back of the apartments made me realize how much we need to help our community. "-Demia Tucker

what would you have done if this were your neighborhood?

"If this was my neighborhood, I would do everything in my power to clean it up. I would ask the news, and reporters to come out and let the world know what was going on. Also, I would ask people in and out of the community to help clean it up. I would not  let this be unknown. "-Demia Tucker

I talked to a woman in the area about why she was moving. She said that the area was falling to waste and that she needed to move after 4 months. Would you have moved if you were in her shoes?

"I would try to help the buildings first, as stated in my previous answer. If I don't have any cooperation, after trying hard to repair the neighborhood, then yes,I would move before I am forced out."-Demia Tucker



Just getting back from the environmental justice dinner where we had a number of people receiving accolades, but after the dinner I sat down and interviewed Alex Grayned to talk about what she got out the series of events. Here' s what she has to say:

Who did you sit with at your table?

" Imran Battla who was an interesting person who was so passionate about his environment.  "-Alex Grayned

What did you like about the Dinner?

" I liked the encouraging and passionate speeches delivered by the presenters that demonstrated the need and demand for people who are deeply concerned about their environment. "-Alex Grayned

How has what Mustafa said impacted your life?

" Mustafa stated that communities need environmental justices in more ways than one , and that communities needed to be more involved regarding the environment around them.   "-Alex Grayned

I even managed to talk to Marcus Penny of Retrofitting A Million and ask him a few questions on his work:

All in all today was a great day in the world of Environmental Justice just check it out!

Lights, Water, Action

Sean Nicholson & Enrika Maddox talk to us about Retrofitting a Million, project  planning for community outreach and climate action. And WOW! We start out with questions for various environmental prizes! This is going to be good!

Being shown a map of environmental hot spots that highlight pollution in a County around a small part of Georgia  can be very moving when you see that the pollution is clumped up around your area. Be it Decatur, Fulton, or Dekalb anyone can get a real look at how much impact they 'need' to be having to change their lives and the lives of others around them for the better and for the healthier.

Student initiated, Retrofitting A Million, serves to connect communities of modest means thorough service and learning opportunities that explore health economic and environmental benefits of sustainability.

" If I replaced my light bulbs at home i would need 13 FLC's and it would save me money on the electric bill how awesome and kick butt it that?"-Lyndon

Kids are asking questions and getting info about real issues concerning how to implement any really good plans for getting the community active in recycling. With programs like AMPS Atlanta, Columbus, and Laurel, UGRO, and EcoTenships Pipeline Project its a wonder why I haven't heard of them before! For more on what you want to know about Retrofitting A Million check out their home site @ http://retrofitamillion.org/

And now we hear from The EPA and Mustafa Ali on Environmental Justice

tidor, by the way has been with us with us since Saturday experiencing all the fun!

Children start the day with presentations from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Next up will be Kedesch Altidor and Mustafa Ali of the EPA! Ms. Al