I visited Palo Alto High School (or ‘Paly’ as it is often referred to) today, speaking with Ms. Brimhall’s senior environmental studies class. Palo Alto High sits directly across the street from Stanford, and literally feels like a tiny Stanford campus. I forgot the digital camera at home, which is too bad because it was ‘spirit week’ and Ms. Brimhall was giving extra credit for students who dressed up showing their school spirit. I did not know you could dress up like a Viking in so many different ways.

   On this day I presented to three environmental studies 12th-grade classes at Acalanes High in Lafayette, on the far side of the San Francisco Bay.

   It can sometimes be a challenge talking to seniors, as they show less natural enthusiasm than, say, the third graders I visited. Nonetheless, I was encouraged by their engagement on the issues and their responses to my questions, and especially by those who thanked me and talked after the class. I am targeting older students because they are closer to an age where they will be able to vote and make their own decisions about the world. For these students near college age, I also usually put a plug in for studying abroad during college.
   I was going to take the train around the San Francisco bay to save gas and make a statement about use of public transit. Then I missed the train and had to drive.

   Today I visited Fort River Elementary in Amherst Massachusetts. About 15 to 20 years ago I attended this school, and a few of the same teachers were there to say hello. Now, my eight-year-old niece attends the school, and I spoke with her third grade class as well as three others. With kids this age, I spend more time just talking about the number of people on the planet, in the United States, and in their home town.

   Today I visited my old High School, Amherst Regional, in Amherst, Massachusetts, where I presented for Mr. Shaw’s AP environmental studies class. This was my first high school, and the class was forgiving as I figured out the best way to advocate that they take action on climate change.
   I did not escape the school without running into a number of former teachers, which was actually very enjoyable (except for the one who’s name I couldn’t remember).

    On this day, I visited two sixth grade classes at East Palo Alto Charter School.

    East Palo Alto, which sits directly next to affluent Palo Alto, is made up almost entirely of immigrants. This school serves to help many of these students, almost all of whom speak English as a second language, achieve. The students are in school nearly year-round, which I learned when I referenced ‘summer vacation’ and the teacher, Ms. Umana, corrected me. Ms. Umana also asked me to talk about the importance of a college education. I did, and was surprised to find that a few of the sixth graders raised their hands and stated ‘I don’t think I’ll make it to college,’ or ‘no one in my family has gone to college.’
    I was also impressed by these students enthusiasm, and I will probably visit the school again before leaving.