2023 Service Learning, Youth and Community Preparedness Summit

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD), in collaboration with the Guam Department of Education (GDOE), the Guam Youth Preparedness Program, the Guam Service Learning Committee, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will host the 2023 Service Learning, Youth and Community Preparedness Summit, January 25-27, 2023:

Wednesday and Thursday, January 25-26, 2023, from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the University of Guam, School of Business and Public Administration Bldg. - Summit for educators and community partners
Friday, January 27, 2023, from 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort - Summit for 9th grade students from GDOE and select off-island schools

This year’s theme is Building Environmental Advocates: Strengthening Community Resilience through Disaster Preparedness. The event partners the Service Learning Program with the Guam Youth Preparedness Program and presents concepts for environmental advocacy that the teachers and students can participate in, take into their Service Learning planning, and apply them when preparing for natural disasters. The summit is co-sponsored by the AAFB Fruit Bat Monitoring Program to incorporate place-based learning concepts focused on Guam's environment in our local curriculum to increase community resilience.

The summit includes two tracks: Wednesday, January 25 - Thursday, January 26, focusing on educators and community partners, which helps teachers integrate service learning into their classes. The two-day session topics include climate change impacts, wildfire prevention and service learning curriculum, environmental advocacy, implementation of place-based strategies into schools, and an outdoor field activity on the second day. Outreach exhibitors from partner agencies will also be available.

Friday, January 27, will focus on students and opportunities to engage in community preparedness work, connect community partners with students and educators, and review a plethora of topics including civic responsibility, advocacy in service to the community, and youth preparedness. Presentations from the Guam Department of Agriculture, FEMA Region IX, National Weather Service Guam, and others will be included.

For more information, contact GHS/OCD Public Information Officer, Jenna G. Blas at (671) 478-0208 or via email at jenna.g.blas@ghs.guam.gov.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.