We are proud to share the Will Steger Foundation’s 2010-2011 Annual Report. The report highlights our activities from September 2010-August 2011.
2009-2010 Annual Report Now Available!
Written by Will Steger Foundation
We are proud to share the Will Steger Foundation’s 2009-2010 Annual Report. The report highlights our activities from September 2009-August 2010.
Expedition Copenhagen Final Report
Written by Will Steger Foundation
Expedition Copenhagen educated and empowered youth to influence national climate policy and international climate negotiations through an interdisciplinary curriculum, delegation and grassroots advocacy, culminating at the Copenhagen convention (COP15).
The Will Steger Foundation launched Expedition Copenhagen, a Midwest youth delegation to the international climate negotiations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark, December 5-19, 2009, led by internationally renowned polar explorer Will Steger. Delegates assumed a leadership role in a regional climate campaign to pass strong climate legislation leading up to the international negotiations, and also supported the Will Steger Foundation Citizen Climate curriculum in schools across the United States.
The expedition goals were to:
- Build U.S. awareness of climate policy and investment in strong participation in the confer- ence.
- Highlight the unique role of the Midwest re- gion since the Midwest is a key player in driving national climate policy, public opinion, and the renewable energy revolution.
- Bring the U.S. youth voice to the negotiations whose future is at stake.
Download the Expedition Copenhagen Final Report (PDF 2.9 MB)
Despite a normal winter and cool summer for those of us in Minnesota, the rest of the world had an all-time record of high temperatures this year. The changes are not going unnoticed in the Arctic; researchers say air temperatures in northwest Canada, in Siberia and elsewhere in the Arctic have risen more than 2.5 C (4.5 F) since 1970 - much faster than the global average. The summer thaw is reaching deeper into frozen soil, at a rate of 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) a year, and a further 7 C (13 F) temperature rise is possible this century, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). At a meeting in Greenland in early September 2009, scientists from the Danish Meteorological Institute, the Greenland Climate Center, and other organizations said that the thickness and volume of Arctic ice is decreasing at an even more rapid rate than the precipitous decline in ice extent; Arctic Ocean winter ice thinned by 2.2 feet from 2004 to 2008.
Download the 2007/2008 Will Steger Foundation Annual Report - (1.5 MB)
Download the 2007/2008 Will Steger Foundation Balance Sheet - (9 KB)
With generous support from the US EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Toyota City and over 40 organizations, the Will Steger Foundation was able to execute a 10-day Tour of the Upper Midwest, across four states and seven cities from October 13-22, 2008.
The “Longest Summer Tour” (Tour) provided an opportunity to highlight and elevate the great resources and efforts on climate change already underway in the Upper Midwest. Since there is already significant progress in this region on clean energy and climate change solutions, the Tour highlighted regional leadership from a cross-generational perspective and the strategies and policies already in place at the regional, state, and local level that reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the Tour provided vivid accounts of the impacts of global warming to the Arctic and the Great Lakes, and examples of citizen solutions. Ultimately, the Tour aimed to introduce climate change solution strategies geared towards individuals, communities, campuses and faith-based organizations.
Dear Friend,
Over the past year I was fortunate to travel back to the Arctic on two expeditions to witness the ongoing impact of global warming on this sensitive environment. In late March I set out from Resolute in the High Arctic with a team of 21-28 year olds from four countries along with 3 sleds and 30 dogs. Our main objective was to visit the threatened ice shelves 800 miles away on northern Ellesmere Island, an area I first visited in 1983. As you may know from following our progress on www.globalwarming101.com, we were unable to reach northern Ellesmere because we were slowed down by massive rubble of the Arctic Ocean that had disintegrated last summer from unusually warm temperatures. We did however make it to the remnants of the Ayles ice shelf that had broken off from its parent body in 2005.
Download the 2007/2008 Will Steger Foundation Annual Report - (5.2 MB)
Download the 2007/2008 Will Steger Foundation Balance Sheet - (9 KB)
Our Accomplishments - Our first 5 Years!
Written by Will Steger FoundationThanks to you, every year our programs extend and deepen their impact locally and nationally.
Explore highlighted accomplishments from our programs:
- Between 2006-2008, Will Steger spoke to over 50,000 Minnesotans, delivering his compelling Eyewitness to Global Warming perspective, inspiring community and political action.
- In 2007, we worked with Governor Tim Pawlenty to place Minnesota as the national leader in state-wide climate change policy solutions through the passage of the Renewable Electricity Standard and Next Generation Act.
- Since 2008, we have taken his message to Kansas, North and South Dakota, Montana and Alaska to build public support for federal climate legislation. Our outreach resulted in significant media coverage and public support for climate change solutions.
- The Longest Summer Tour in the fall of 2008 brought opportunities to dialogue with policy-makers, scientists and climate experts, and solutions from young climate leaders on the forefront of an international movement to solve the climate crisis across the Great Lakes Region.
- Expedition Copenhagen, a Midwest youth delegation to the United Nations climate conference, resulted in several youth meetings with prominent decision-makers, including U.S. lawmakers and heads of state.
- In 2010, we held several round-table discussions and press conferences with business leaders in Montana, Alaska and Minnesota to showcase their support of comprehensive climate policy.
- Our Clean Air Act Defense work began in 2011; we organized a letter on behalf of over 40 attorneys in Minnesota, including Vice President Walter Mondale and Senator Dave Durenberger, asking Senator Klobuchar to support a strong Clean Air Act.
- Reached over 5,000 youth since the program launched in 2007.
- Grew YEA! MN to include 25 high schools in the Twin Cities Metro area.
- Expedition Copenhagen expanded our youth and school networks and fostered cooperation among youth climate groups regionally, nationally and internationally to demand action that will protect their generation from the most serious predicted impacts.
- Supported and participated in a variety of national conferences, teach-ins, youth climate summits, and initiatives including Focus the Nation Clean Energy Forums and National Teach-Ins, 350.org events, and National Power Shift summits.
- 2010-2011 featured a partnership with the British Council as we launched the Climate Generation program, including select Climate Champions and awards.
- Hosted the RE-AMP Youth Coordinator for three years (2009-present) to support and coordinates youth campaigns with RE-AMP campaigns on issues including, energy efficiency, cleaning up coal, fracking, transportation, and sustainable cities. RE-AMP is a network of foundations and non-profits aimed at transforming the Upper Midwest energy sector into a model of clean, efficient and safe energy use, while reducing global warming pollution economy-wide 80% by 2050.
- WSF has provided professional development to educators for six years through annual Summer Institutes. The Institutes provide teachers with tools to communicate climate change in the classroom. Past keynote speakers have included Dr. Mark Seeley, Paul Douglas, Bill McKibben, Dr. James Hansen, Andrew Revkin and Dr. Naomi Oreskes.
- Over 500 educators have been directly trained in our climate change education resources through our Summer Institutes.
- Over 300 educators downloaded Citizen Climate Lesson Plans in conjunction with WSF’s Expedition Copenhagen program. Students submitted position statements online, which were delivered to President Obama and featured on The White House blog.
- More than 10,000 educators have downloaded our lesson plans or purchased our Educator Resource Binder.
- WSF’s curriculum resources have been adapted for use by the U.S. EPA Region 5, World Wildlife Fund, Facing the Future and the National Parks Foundation.
- Established partnerships with the National Education Association, National Parks Foundation/Parks Climate Change, Climate Literacy Network and National Geographic Society.
- The 2007 Baffin Island expedition team included three Inuit hunters from Iglulik, Nunavut and focused on telling the Inuit experience with climate change. It was monitored by more than 300 thousand people and over 3,000 educators registered for the companion Global Warming 101 Lesson Plans to follow the expedition. The expedition was featured in local, national and international outlets including Outside magazine, The Weather Channel, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, NBC Today Show, NPR, BBC World News, Backpacker magazine and the Associated Press.
- The 2008 Ellesmere Island Expedition included six emerging leaders from four countries in collaboration with the Norwegian government to empower their generation of leaders to advocate for climate change solutions. The expedition visited the remnants of the Ayles Ice Shelf and traveled across the ruins of the Arctic Ocean summer sea ice that had broken off in 2007. The expedition was monitored by 25,000 unique visitors/day and received over one billion media impressions. The expedition was featured on ABCNews.com, Time.com, Treehugger.com. The team graced the cover of Time for Kids and was featured in National Geographic Adventure.
- Expedition Copenhagen 2009 educated and empowered youth to influence national climate policy and international climate negotiations through an interdisciplinary curriculum, grassroots advocacy and delegation culminating at the U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen (COP15).Youth delegates provided climate education to local communities across the Midwest, through outreach and presentations to middle and high schools. National media coverage during the negotiations included The Huffington Post, Grist, The Washington Post, and National Geographic BlogWild.
- WSF has partnered with several other expeditions to provide access, education and outreach for their programs, including Jon Bowermaster’s Larsen Ice Shelf Expedition; Victorinox North Pole 2009, an unsupported ski trip to the North Pole; and 350 Solutions Revolution, a youth delegation to the United Nations conference in Cancun, Mexico.
- WSF’s invaluable volunteers donate over 1,000 hours to the organization each year.
- Launched corporative giving programs with 1% for the Planet, Minnesota Environmental Fund, and the Combined Federal Campaign.
- Received the Charities Review Council Meets Standard seal for accountability practices.
- Secured large government grants from the Ministry of Environment, Norway and Royal Norwegian Embassy, US EPA Region 5 and Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund totaling over $500,000.
This past year and a half has been quite a journey for me, and for the Will Steger Foundation, an organization I knew I needed to create years ago. The organization has been a way to channel my vision and interest in education and policy into something that would be bigger than any effort I could do alone. From the beginning, we launched into fundraising, programming and the Global Warming 101 Initiative.
The past year has provided us with a number of successes – I hope you take the time to read about our accomplishments in the pages that follow. The collective action of people and organizations is a key strategy to slow global warming. Our successful partnerships with government, media, science, education, industry, activist organizations, sponsors and suppliers demonstrate the enthusiasm our efforts have generated – from National Geographic, to the Minnesota Energy Challenge, to Shaklee Corporation and WCCO-TV.
Download the 2006/2007 Will Steger Foundation Annual Report 2.8 MB
Program Recap: Ellesmere Island Expedition
Written by Will Steger Foundation
On March 29, 2008, the Will Steger Foundation launched its second Global Warming 101 Expedition, a 62-day, 1,400-mile dogsled expedition across Ellesmere Island. Renowned explorer Will Steger selected six young adventurers, ages 21–28, to join him in an effort to educate youth, inspire international coopera- tion and empower the next generation of leaders to advocate for the environment.
Steger and his teammates traveled in Canada’s High Arctic where the last remaining ice shelves in North America exist – to capture disintegrating ice caps, re- treating glaciers and the destruction of wildlife habitat.
From the adventures of dog-sledding across exception- al stretches of Arctic Ocean ruins, to the unexpected challenges of a refashioned topography, to surprising polar bear encounters, Steger and his team bore wit- ness to an inimitable firsthand account of the effects of global warming.
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