Ambitious teen seeks environmental protection....s setting up interviews with Al Gore last year, but instead of giving up, he found another route.
Ambitious teen seeks environmental protection
Fourteen-year-old Taylor Francis hit walls setting up interviews with Al Gore last year, but instead of giving up, he found another route.
Francis traveled to Nashville, Tenn. for three days last month to become trained in presenting the slide show featuring information from the 2006 movie “An Inconvenient Truth.” Now the Menlo Park teen is looking for an audience to share cures to help decrease the effects of global warming. Although he was admittedly inspired by the film to get involved, Francis is no stranger for big projects.
He always had an interest in global issues, said his father Tod Francis. When he started the magazine at Hillsborough’s Crystal Springs Uplands School called Vantage — he started it when he was 12 — the idea was to share middle schoolers’ perspectives on both local and global issues. He came across a lot of interesting topics including the environment, he said.
“His biggest quest was always what can we, as young people today, do. When he looked at the environment, that is something we can work on now and it will affect our future,” said his father Tod Francis.
Taylor Francis is a freshman at Crystal Uplands School and loves spending time in the Sierra Nevada. He along with his father, mother Bonnie Matlock and 11-year-old brother Brian spend time exploring skiing, hiking, swimming and climbing. It’s a trip the family makes nearly every weekend. Taylor Francis’ deep connection with the outdoors is a large part of his desire to help the environment.
“It’s personal on two levels. I’m really in touch with the planet and outdoors. And that’s what’s at stake. Global warming is going to be the defining issue of my lifetime. We have to play out the consequences of our action or inaction,” he said.
When Taylor Francis learned he could spread the message of environmental damage, he took full advantage of the program. After being accepted, he traveled with his mother to learn the science and statistics behind the slide show he would be certified to present. Al Gore personally led the training, giving him the chance to chat one on one. Gore’s environmental work after his unsuccessful presidential bid inspired him. Thus meeting Gore, was amazing and inspiring to the young environmentalist. He now has the tools to present his own slide show geared to interest the younger generations and ways to help.
“This has nothing to do with resume building. It’s just what he wants to do. He’s very driven to take things to deep levels. When he gets on a passion or an interest he goes aggressively against it,” said Tod Francis.
When Taylor Francis was 12, for example, he started the school magazine, Vantage. The bi-annual publication grew from a middle schooler’s project to a school-wide magazine that grew with the class. Taylor Francis stepped down from his editor in chief role, however, to take on his global warming quest. His work and determination rubs off on others and doesn’t go unnoticed.
“The world will be a better place because Taylor is in it and has a vision for it and has too all the practical energy and style to carry out as well as to imagine,” said Idris Anderson, Crystal Springs Uplands School English department chair. “I’m confident he will have an impact on the world we will live in.”
To schedule a slide show presentation e-mail Taylor Francis at tfrancis@csus.com.
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=69179
Fourteen-year-old Taylor Francis hit walls setting up interviews with Al Gore last year, but instead of giving up, he found another route.
Francis traveled to Nashville, Tenn. for three days last month to become trained in presenting the slide show featuring information from the 2006 movie “An Inconvenient Truth.” Now the Menlo Park teen is looking for an audience to share cures to help decrease the effects of global warming. Although he was admittedly inspired by the film to get involved, Francis is no stranger for big projects.
He always had an interest in global issues, said his father Tod Francis. When he started the magazine at Hillsborough’s Crystal Springs Uplands School called Vantage — he started it when he was 12 — the idea was to share middle schoolers’ perspectives on both local and global issues. He came across a lot of interesting topics including the environment, he said.
“His biggest quest was always what can we, as young people today, do. When he looked at the environment, that is something we can work on now and it will affect our future,” said his father Tod Francis.
Taylor Francis is a freshman at Crystal Uplands School and loves spending time in the Sierra Nevada. He along with his father, mother Bonnie Matlock and 11-year-old brother Brian spend time exploring skiing, hiking, swimming and climbing. It’s a trip the family makes nearly every weekend. Taylor Francis’ deep connection with the outdoors is a large part of his desire to help the environment.
“It’s personal on two levels. I’m really in touch with the planet and outdoors. And that’s what’s at stake. Global warming is going to be the defining issue of my lifetime. We have to play out the consequences of our action or inaction,” he said.
When Taylor Francis learned he could spread the message of environmental damage, he took full advantage of the program. After being accepted, he traveled with his mother to learn the science and statistics behind the slide show he would be certified to present. Al Gore personally led the training, giving him the chance to chat one on one. Gore’s environmental work after his unsuccessful presidential bid inspired him. Thus meeting Gore, was amazing and inspiring to the young environmentalist. He now has the tools to present his own slide show geared to interest the younger generations and ways to help.
“This has nothing to do with resume building. It’s just what he wants to do. He’s very driven to take things to deep levels. When he gets on a passion or an interest he goes aggressively against it,” said Tod Francis.
When Taylor Francis was 12, for example, he started the school magazine, Vantage. The bi-annual publication grew from a middle schooler’s project to a school-wide magazine that grew with the class. Taylor Francis stepped down from his editor in chief role, however, to take on his global warming quest. His work and determination rubs off on others and doesn’t go unnoticed.
“The world will be a better place because Taylor is in it and has a vision for it and has too all the practical energy and style to carry out as well as to imagine,” said Idris Anderson, Crystal Springs Uplands School English department chair. “I’m confident he will have an impact on the world we will live in.”
To schedule a slide show presentation e-mail Taylor Francis at tfrancis@csus.com.
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=69179
posted by presgore19 at 2:11 AM
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