Alums

Tomáš Tunkl

Tomáš Tunkl is the GLOBE Alumni regional representative for Europe and Eurasia region. Currently finishing Law School at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, Tomáš, age 24, has already been involved with GLOBE for more than a decade. During high school, with the departure of the one GLOBE-trained teacher in his school, he was asked lead familiar GLOBE activities; for three years he played the roll of both student and teacher. "In 2003, Tomáš attended the GLE in Croatia, which impressed upon him the value of GLOBE not only in teaching science but in influencing students to interact socially to have a collective impact on their communities.

As Tomáš' secondary school education was nearing completion, he contacted Martin Pentson from Estonia, who was a GLOBE school graduate studying at university. Both were interested in finding a way for students to remain involved with GLOBE in the post-secondary years. As a result of their meetings, and a formal call to participate to GLOBE school graduates in their home countries, GLOBE Alumni groups in Estonia and the Czech Republic were created. Tomáš and Martin presented the idea of GLOBE Alumni groups at the annual 2005 GLOBE Europe Conference in Prague, and in 2006 Annual Conference in Phuket, Thailand, resulting in the formation of the first GLOBE Alumni International Board.

Tomáš currently heads the GLOBE Alumni Network in Europe and Eurasia and is leader of the Czech GLOBE Veterans (Alumni)."This latter effort resulted in the GLOBE for All project (GLOBE protocols executed by people aged 60+), Join Nature (a project for groups of GLOBE students aged 13/14 from 4 European countries) and GS-pals (an international web collaboration project for GLOBE schools). The Czech alumni also co-organize the annual GLOBE Games a gathering of approximately 500 GLOBE students and teachers mainly from Czech Republic and as well as other neighboring countries."They also take part in many European youth exchanges focused on health, environment and social issues.

The GLOBE Alumni Network, allowing students to remain active with GLOBE beyond secondary school, is something that Tomáš strongly feels about."The GLOBE Alumni Network, "opened the possibility to contribute to the program without at any restriction due to age, social, cultural or educational borders. This great community of people ranging from kindergarten kids to senior citizen in their 80s are connected by one fundamental aim: to observe and learn about GLOBE to benefit environment. Enough said: I'm glad to be part of it and let us all make the world better, starting locally to have a global impact."