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2014 Green Schools National Conference

Think you're Environmentally Literate? 

Take our quiz and find out just how environmentally literate you are, and besides it's fun!

Quiz designed by Young Women In Climate Team of Manchester Essex Regional Middle/High School

Green Schools National Conference: Student Summit

(March 27-29, 2014 Sacramento, California)

Build your skills and knowledge, and make connections with like-minded students from across the country that will last a lifetime. Return to your school energized and ready to lead new environmental projects with a deeper understanding of sustainability and the world we live in. 

Learn More

Green Week is Five!

Last year over 5 million students participated and this year our aim is to have 8 million engaged in sustainability education throughout the country. To help us reach this goal, and to be a part of the largest K-12 sustainability education movement, if you could please take a moment to email the following notice to your members and post to Facebook- we would greatly appreciate it! As always, participation in Green Week and in all of GEF's educational resources is FREE. In addition, GEF will be raffling over $10,000 worth of prizes to participating schools.

Join the largest K-12 sustainability education movement by signing up for National Green Week 2014! Green Week kicks off February 3 and lasts through April 25, 2014. You choose any week during that time to be your Green Week.  It's free, and if you join on or before February 3 you will be entered to win Green Packs (reusable water bottles, snack containers and bags) for your entire school! In addition, GEF will be raffling over $10,000 in prizes through Earth Day - so don't, wait sign up today!

Green Week Website

Green Education Foundation (GEF)

Young Reporters for the Environment USA Competition Invites 2014 Entries

National Wildlife Federation's Young Reporters for the Environment USA competition invites students between the ages of 13-21 to report on an environmental issue in their community in an article, photo or photo essay, or short video. All entries should reflect firsthand investigation of topics related to the environment and sustainability in the students' own communities, draw connections between local and global perspectives, and propose solutions.

Submissions to the national competition are due by March 15, 2014. First-place winners in the national competition proceed to the international Young Reporters for the Environment competition, joining the entries of students from more than 25 countries around the world.

Students: You may enter individually or as part of a group.

Educators: The competition makes a perfect culmination to a group or class journalism project.

Visit www.yre-usa.org for full details and guidelines.

Tune in to this archived webinar to get more tips for crafting a successful entry. Get all the scoop, and then get reporting!

Nicolas Come is the nine-year-old entrepreneur that developed the, "Nicolas' Garden" Mobile App and digital platform, encouraging children to eat and share healthy recipes, be sustainable and eat fresh/locally, and make healthier choices.

Launched only six months ago, "Nicolas' Garden" has already generated over 16 million media impressions worldwide; and Nicolas was invited and met the President of the United States only six weeks after his company launch (photo attached). Since that time, he has been a keynote speaker and guest/celebrity chef for children's programs, California's "Ag in the Classroom" State Conference, and was selected as one of California's, "Forty Under 40" to Watch, and "Student Entrepreneur of the Year." He was working with Jamie Oliver last week.

Nicolas is trying to do with kids, what Jamie is trying to do with adults and schools: inspire healthier choices and kids, as well as promote sustainability/farm-to-fork.

Watch Video and learn about "Nicolas' Garden"

"I have met the President, been on TV countless times." said Come.

He might be nine, but behind the adorable face there is a good business man. Nicolas Come showed off his recently launched app, Nicolas' Garden, to hundreds at this year's SARTA Clean Air Showcase. The event highlights Sacramento's clean technology sector.

Nicolas' Garden is helping kids eat healthier by sharing recipes, creating games and encouraging families to shop locally for produce.  

Water and energy are closely interlinked and interdependent.

GET THE FACTS...World Water Day: Water & Energy

Water is required to produce nearly all forms of energy. Energy is needed at all stages of water extraction, treatment and distribution.

Demand for freshwater and energy will continue to increase significantly over the coming decades. This increase will present big challenges and strain resources in nearly all regions, especially in developing and emerging economies.

Choices concerning the supply, distribution, price, and use of water and energy impact one another.

Worldwide, 1.3 billion people currently live without electricity, 780 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion people are without sanitation. Water and energy have crucial impacts on poverty alleviation.

Better understanding between the two sectors of the connections and effects on each other will improve coordination in energy and water planning, leading to reducing inefficiencies. Policy-makers, planners and practitioners can take steps to overcome the barriers that exist between their respective domains. Innovative and pragmatic national policies can lead to more efficient and cost effective provision of water and energy services.

As featured in sustainablecitynetwork.com by Michelle Volkman

  

According to the "Trends in Walking and Bicycling to School" report released October 2013 by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, a greater percentage of children between the grades of kindergarten and eighth grade are choosing active school travel. Parent surveys showed the percentage of children walking to and from school increased from 12.4 percent in 2007 to 15.7 percent in 2012 in the morning and 15.8 percent in 2007 to 19.7 percent in 2012 in the afternoon. The data was compiled from parent surveys submitted by 8,119 schools representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia

Read Entire Article

What is ScratchEd?

Launched in July 2009, ScratchEd is an online community where Scratch educators share stories, exchange resources, ask questions, and find people.

Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create interactive art, stories, simulations, and games - and share those creations online 

Since its launch, more than 7500 educators from all around the world have joined the community, sharing hundreds of resources and engaging in thousands of discussions.

Join the ScratchEd community for free.

Consider using this tool with eSTEM initiatives!

Take the survey NOW

To help accelerate the adoption of renewable energy by pre-K-12 schools, the Green Schools Alliance, a global network of more than 3,000 pre-K-12 schools, has created and launched the Green Schools Renewable Energy Purchasing Consortium with support from the EPA's Green Power Partnership. The consortium is an international group of pre-K-12 schools joined together to collectively purchase renewable energy for their facilities.

After extensive review, the consortium has chosen an energy provider! There is still time for interested schools to join the consortium and purchase green power at a competitive price.

If you are interested, please register for the Green Schools Alliance's introductory webinar on Friday, January 24th at 1 pm EST where the Green Schools Alliance will announce the selected proposal. Webinar participants will also be able to meet the energy provider and learn about the consortium structure and REC pricing.

Important Dates

• January 24 - February 7, 2014: Two-week window for schools that submitted a Statement of Intent before November 15th to sign-on to the consortium as a charter member school and execute a REC purchase.
• January 24 - March 7, 2014: Open enrollment for all schools interested in purchasing RECs to join the consortium and execute a REC purchase.

If you have any questions or feedback about the consortium, please contact Jacob Sneeden at [email protected] or visit the Green Schools Renewable Energy Purchasing Consortium webpage.

National Public Health Week - April 7-13, 2014

National Healthy Schools Day - Tuesday, April 8, 2014

• Participate locally, in your city or state, or nationally! Become a new or continuing National Healthy Schools Day partner in 2014.  Email [email protected] for information on how your school or group can be recognized.

• See the free online activity tools and suggestions such as our Activities and Events map, chronicling all of the great activities and events from the past 3 years!  Also take a look at the Take Back Your IAQ Classroom Checklist or the Healthy Schools Day State/City Proclamation/Resolution toolkit used in both Red States and Blue States over the last few years! Visit the website for more ideas and information about National Healthy Schools Day 2014!

• Make sure to visit the web and make sure to Register your activity so we can add it to the activities map!

The Green Strides Webinar Series provides school communities the tools to reduce their schools' environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach effective environmental education. It provides all schools access to the resources that help them move toward the Pillars of our U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award.