DAVID COOK
I'm an environmental educator from the USA, who spent the first half of 2007 volunteering with JGI in Tanzania before coming to Uganda. I've used most of my time at JGI Uganda editing and updating a curriculum guide for Primary 6 and 7 teachers in Uganda, a project which was initiated by previous volunteers and local staff members. During my volunteer stint, I worked with our education team to edit the curriculum before distributing a draft for Ugandan teachers to pilot test with their students. After the piloting, we held workshops with participating teachers to garner their feedback for the final draft, which will be distributed during the first school term of 2008.
In addition to curriculum work, I spent a month at the Kalinzu Forest Education Center, leading environmental activities in nearby schools, and I also had opportunities to help with the construction crew at the Budongo Forest Ecotourism Site. My final project was helping to plan
and co-lead JGI Uganda's first Roots & Shoots Youth Camp, a week of leadership activities and workshops designed to help young Roots & Shoots members (and their teachers) run their school clubs, and implement projects in their communities.
Prior to my volunteer work with JGI, I split time as Field Instructor and Grants Co-ordinator at IslandWood - Student Conservation Association), an environmental education center in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. While working at IslandWood, I earned a Masters in Education from the University of Washington, focusing my studies on the benefits of using the natural environment as a context for learning and integrating content from multiple subject areas. I have also worked as a Backcountry Ranger in Olympic National Park and an Urban Crew Leader with the Student Conservation Association in Seattle.
When I'm not travelling overseas or caught up with work, I can usually be found exploring the mountains, glaciers, waterways and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest, USA and/or unabashedly cheering for the Indiana sports teams of my home town. When I do get back to the states, I hope to work as an Instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School before heading overseas for my next adventure, which may be teaching English in Malaysia if all goes according to plan!
For more on my experiences in Uganda you can go to my travel blog The site is: www.travelblog.org/bloggers/dmax
