UNIS/VIC/150
 12 June 2007

UN Visitors Service Launches Educational Climate Change Programme for Children

       VIENNA, 12 June 2007 (UN Information Service) -- Educating youngsters on how they can reduce the impact of climate change will be this year's focus of the children's tour of the United Nations headquarters in Vienna, which is offered in the summer holidays as part of the wienerferienspiel programme of the City of Vienna. Every year the UN Visitors Service organizes a tour designed for children aged 6 to 13. Using an interactive approach the programme will convey the impact of climate change on the environment. The children will be taught the importance of conserving water and protecting themselves adequately from the sun's ultraviolet rays. They will explore which practical day-to-day measures they can take to reduce greenhouse emissions. 

      The children's tour of the United Nations will be presented as part of the City of Vienna holiday programme at the "Super Schnupper-Startfest" fair in the Vienna Donaupark on 1 July 2007. It will run on weekdays at 09:30, from 2 July to 31 August, daily in the German language. The tour will also be held in English on Wednesday afternoons, and will continue throughout the following year for registered groups. The programme features a guided tour of the Vienna International Centre, an interactive Model United Nations conference on environmental issues and a quiz on climate change.

       To mark the launch, the UN Information Service has invited the eight finalist classes of the "Mistmeister 2007" tournament, which was held by the City of Vienna's municipal department for waste management. This annual tournament aims to enhance recycling skills and develop environment protection strategies among elementary school children. The finals were held on 5 June in observance of World Environment Day.

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For further information please contact:

Vienna International Centre
Visitors Service
P.O. Box 500
1400 Vienna
Tel.:   (+43-1) 26060-3328
Fax:   (+43-1) 26060-5991
E-mail: Tours@unvienna.org