The Observer, July, 2008

Council launches outreach and education committee

The newly formed Information and Education Committee held its inaugural meeting in Anchorage on June 12.

Participating in the meeting were its founding members: Seward volunteer Peter Armato, Kodiak board member Jane Eisemann, Cordova board member Nancy Bird, Anchorage board member Cathy Hart, Seldovia volunteer Savannah Lewis, Valdez board member Dorothy Moore, board president Patience Andersen Faulkner of Cordova, and former Valdez board member Stan Stephens.

At the meeting, committee members created the education committee’s mission statement, and worked toward developing its goals. The mission: support the council’s work by fostering public awareness, responsibility and participation through information and education.

Members also chose goals for the committee. They include fighting complacency, attending a broader range of events to help promote the council, promoting family involvement, promoting projects from other council committees to the general public, and broadening the age range of those participating in the council.

Another goal is to develop collaboration with people, communities and organizations in regions that have environmental challenges similar to those faced by the council in its region.

The committee also spent some time discussing next year’s 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.

The next meeting will be an in-person retreat Aug. 8 to review the council’s projects and determine which of those the committee would like to have input on.

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