2024-2025 LEAF Program Student Application

IISD-ELA LEAF Program 2024-2025

The IISD-ELA LEAF Program is an educational experience designed for students entering grades 11 and 12, that seek to foster science and ecological literacy. Over the course of the 2024-2025 school year, students will work side-by-side with world class scientists in an immersive environment conducting lake research.

Students will be guided by ELA education staff, and world-renowned scientists and technicians from IISD-ELA. Students will meet once a month in person, and will be provided with transportation from a designated location, as well as food and snacks throughout the day. The majority of the course will be day trips on a Friday, with some multiday trips with an overnight stay at the IISD-ELA research facility, including an opportunity for a winter camping experience as well as indoor accommodations.

Each student will take responsibility for their own learning and must demonstrate personal integrity, independent leadership, and environmental stewardship at all times. There is zero tolerance for any behavior that is not considered respectful and will lead to immediate termination from the program.

Interested students should tell us about themselves in an honest account, indicating their interest and commitment to the LEAF program, should they be selected. Selected students will have their listed teacher will be contacted.

Your responses to this application will be kept confidential.

IISD-Experimental Lakes Area is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustices and disadvantages in providing opportunities, we encourage students from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQ+

The deadline to submit applications is June 3rd, 2024, 11:59 pm CDT

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* 1. Students Contact info

Name (First and Last) *

Grade as of September 2023

Address *

Address 2

City/Town *

ZIP/Postal Code *

Email Address *

Phone Number *

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* 2. Parent/Guardians name, email, phone number

Name

Email Address

Phone Number

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* 3. School name

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* 4. Principal's name

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* 5. Sponsoring Teachers name

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* 6. Sponsoring Teachers email

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* 7. Describe why you wish to be a participant in the LEAF program

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* 8. What work or studies have you done in science, ecology, and/or sustainability? What projects, co-curricular activities, or volunteer work have you done that might prepare you for this experience? What books have you read that have honed your interest in science, ecology, and/or sustainability?

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* 9. Describe an activity you have experienced that was related to nature and important to you. The activity could have been part of a high school course, a summer time or holiday experience, and either self-directed or a group activity. Describe who was involved, what was done ,when it happened, where it happened, what the purpose was, and how you did it.

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* 10. Consider the activity you described in question 9. Explain why this activity was important to you. What did this activity cause you think or learn about? What did it mean to you while you were doing it? What meaning does it have for you now, as you look back on it?

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* 11. Some people believe that: "To get the most from an activity, you must invest all of your energy into that activity", or that, "What you get in return equals what you invested". Others believe that simply, "Being open and ready will result in the best learning and living". What do you think about any of these ideas? (Note: there is no correct answer, we are simply interested in you ideas.)

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* 12. Please provide an example of physical activity that you participated in that would contribute to helping you succeed in the field components of this experience. (Ex. canoeing, hiking, etc.)

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* 13. How do you hope to share your new knowledge and skills after the LEAF program? Consider your school community.

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* 14. This program has zero tolerance for aggressive/disrespectful behavior of any kind. This program is a privilege and should be treated as such. If an issue arises during the LEAF program, for example, you disagree with how a fellow student is not using the lab equipment properly when analyzing a water sample, how would you handle the situation?

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* 15. When we meet in person we will provide lunch and snacks. Do you have any dietary restrictions?

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* 16. Students selected will be absent from class once a month throughout the school year. Do you think this will be manageable? How will you make up the missed class material?

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* 17. IISD-ELA encourages applicants to complete the brief questionnaire below. Applicants are permitted to self-identify as a member of one or more equity-deserving groups, including women, people beyond the gender binary, racialized people, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+. Responses are voluntary. Information collected will be used solely to carry out IISD-ELA's vision and mission under the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion framework, and for no other purpose. Information is protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act and will be held in the strictest confidence.
PLEASE ONLY CHECK OFF THE BOXES THAT APPLY

I identify as Indigenous.
Indigenous identity refers to whether the person identifies as a North American Indian or a
member of a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit community. Indigenous identity includes those who
report being Registered or Treaty Indians, as well as non-status and non-registered Indians

I identify as a person with a disability.
This includes having a long-term or recurring physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric,
or learning impairment, and
a) Considers themselves to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment or
b) Believes that an employer or potential employer is likely to consider them to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment (includes persons whose functional limitations owing to their impairment have been accommodated in
their current job or workplace)

I identify as a member of a racialized group.
This includes people who might experience differential treatment, outside of the norm, based on race, ethnicity, language, or culture. If this applies to you, please select all that apply below.

Black (e.g., Caribbean, African descent)

Chinese

Filipino

Hispanic or Latino/Latinx

Japanese

Korean

Middle Eastern/West Asian/North African (e.g., Egyptian, Iranian, Israeli, etc.)

South Asian (e.g., Afghan, East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan)

Southeast Asian (e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai)

Another group not listed above (please specify in comment box at the end of the survey)

Gender identity is our internal experience of our gender and how we name our gender. It may correspond with the sex someone was assigned at birth, or it may not. Gender identity evolves as we gain new language and understanding, so there is an entire spectrum within which someone may identify.
Please select all that apply below

Woman/girl

Man/boy

Transgender

Two-Spirit

Non-binary

Genderqueer

Genderfluid

Intersex

Questioning

Gender non-conforming

Another gender identity not listed
(Please specify in the comment box at the end of the survey)

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* 1. Students Contact info

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* 2. Parent/Guardians name, email, phone number

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* 3. School name

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* 4. Principal's name

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* 5. Sponsoring Teachers name

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* 6. Sponsoring Teachers email

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* 7. Describe why you wish to be a participant in the LEAF program

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* 8. What work or studies have you done in science, ecology, and/or sustainability? What projects, co-curricular activities, or volunteer work have you done that might prepare you for this experience? What books have you read that have honed your interest in science, ecology, and/or sustainability?

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* 10. Consider the activity you described in question 9. Explain why this activity was important to you. What did this activity cause you think or learn about? What did it mean to you while you were doing it? What meaning does it have for you now, as you look back on it?

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* 12. Please provide an example of physical activity that you participated in that would contribute to helping you succeed in the field components of this experience. (Ex. canoeing, hiking, etc.)

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* 13. How do you hope to share your new knowledge and skills after the LEAF program? Consider your school community.

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* 15. When we meet in person we will provide lunch and snacks. Do you have any dietary restrictions?

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* 16. Students selected will be absent from class once a month throughout the school year. Do you think this will be manageable? How will you make up the missed class material?

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* 18. If the above question did not have your ethnicity/race or gender identity listed, please use this space to let us know how you identify.