Events
Education Summit: How can we build community resilience through education?
How can we build community resilience through education? Join other educators and students at an Education Summit focused on this question. The Education Summit is on April 6, 2016, day three of the Local Solutions: Eastern Regional Climate Preparedness Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, co-hosted by Antioch University New England and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Summit activities will include: keynote address from climate activist Bill McKibben, a panel on community resilience and education, informational sessions, professional development workshops, a collaborative activity, field trips, and a participant forum. You can learn more about the Education Summit and register here: www.communityresilience-center.org/conference-2016/education-summit. You may choose to attend only the Education Summit on April 6, two days of the Local Solutions conference, or all three days. Accommodations are available at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel. Hotel reservations made prior to March 11 will be at a discounted rate. You will find more information about lodging here: www.communityresilience-center.org.
Green Schools Conference and Expo
Early bird registration for the 2016 Green Schools Conference and Expo is open through January 29, 2016. Make plans now to join fellow green schools advocates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania March 31-April 1, 2016 for the 6th annual conference and expo!
Resources
The Center for Health and the Global Environment’s K-12 Education Program encourages environmental education within the context of global perspectives and human health. On this website, teachers can find lesson plans, videos, multimedia tools, and a wealth of other resources that address topics such as biodiversity and human health; climate, energy, and health; healthy oceans; and healthy and sustainable food. The site also offers professional development opportunities around energy, climate, biodiversity, oceans, food, and health.
Alameda Unified School District Go Green Waste Reduction Lessons and Materials
This website, shared by Jennifer Abbe with the Alameda Unified School District, contains a variety of materials used by Alameda schools to teach and promote waste reduction. Resources include lunch waste sorting lesson plans and handouts, recycling posters, and waste-free party kit information.
CalRecycle: Waste Reduction Strategies for Each Department within a School District
This CalRecycle website provides tips, ideas, suggestions, and resources for school districts looking to reduce waste. The information presented can be applied in school districts throughout the United States.
This CalRecycle website provides tips, ideas, suggestions, and resources for school districts looking to implement zero-waste lunch programs. The information presented can be applied in school districts throughout the United States.
FIRST® LEGO League 2015 Trash Trek Challenge
In the 2015 FIRST® LEGO League TRASH TREK Challenge, more than 233,000 children ages 9 to 16 from over 80 countries will explore the fascinating world of trash. From collection, to sorting, to smart production and reuse, there is more to your trash than meets the eye. Learn more about the challenge and find helpful resources on waste, waste reduction, and recycling.
This resource, shared by Laura Dysart with the Good Shepherd Episcopal School, presents facts, statistics, ideas, and activities for starting a school recycling and/or composting program. You will need to create an account on the website to access the full complement of activities and free tools available.
Junior FIRST® LEGO League 2015 Waste Wise Challenge
Junior FIRST® LEGO® League teams are about to learn that throwing something in the trash is only the beginning. In the 2015-2016 WASTE WISE Challenge, over 34,500 children ages 6 to 9 from 18 countries will look at trash in a whole new way. From reducing, to reusing, to recycling, and beyond, find out what making trash really means. Learn more about the challenge and register to participate.
This video, shared by Nancy Deming with the Oakland Unified School District, shows how students at Glenview Elementary School in Oakland, CA recycle their food scraps at lunch time through composting.
Stop Waste is a public agency in Alameda County, California that helps government, businesses, schools, and residents reduce waste. For schools, the site offers resources and information on preventing waste and recycling including case studies, activities and projects, lesson plans, and videos. Although lessons and projects were developed to meet California-based standards, they can easily be adapted for use in other states.
Professional Development
Ocean Exploration Trust Fellowship
The Ocean Exploration Trust’s Science Communication Fellowship Program immerses formal and non-formal educators in the Nautilus Corps of Exploration and empowers them to bring ocean exploration – specifically in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) – to a global audience via the Nautilus Live website. Science Communication Fellows bring their expedition experience back to their own classrooms, organizations, and communities in the form of engaging lesson plans and activities centered around their time at sea aboard Nautilus and other vessels. Applications are due January 4, 2016.
Grants
GetEdFunding is a curated collection of grants and awards created by education professionals for education professionals. Its database was designed to be easy-to-use and reliable, and all grant and funding opportunities are updated daily. Users can search by six criteria, including 43 areas of focus, 8 content areas, and 14 twenty-first century themes and skills, including environmental literacy. Once registered on the site, users can save grants of interest and return to them at any time.
