The National Directory of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) can help promote your after-school program, which in turn can lead to increased membership, funding, and partnership opportunities.  
 
The Coalition for Science After School has partnered with Time Warner Cable to create this on-line national directory, and participation is absolutely free. Time Warner Cable, to support children and families, will promote STEM with Public Service Announcements throughout a five-year campaign.

EarthBox Education wants to collectively upload information to the site. To do this, we need to hear from you. Please email your contact information and program description to Molly Philbin at molly.philbin@earthbox.com for loading. When the information is uploaded, you will receive an email with a login and password information, and you're in! 

As a result of receiving their EcoMedia award in 2009, San Francisco's Rosa Parks Elementary now has a new outdoor environmental learning center, a solar display and observatory, an extensive energy efficiency lighting retrofit, an organic garden, and much more. In addition, EcoMedia has created a sustainable environmental program for the students.

"The students at Rosa Parks Elementary have made the city of San Francisco proud," says San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. "The school's commitment to the environment, and the students' creativity and responsibility in effecting a change in the community, should serve as a shining example for their peers as well as future generations."

Sustainable media sponsorships were secured from a cross-section of public and private partnerships, including lead sponsor Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Microsoft, TCP, O Organics and many others. Supporters include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the EPA's EnergyStar program.

The initiative at Rosa Parks Elementary was overseen by a green schools coach certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. EcoMedia also worked closely with the San Francisco Unified School District to provide a sustainable environmental program along with outdoor/indoor projects and supplies.

The Rosa Parks makeover celebration took place this past May, at their newly transformed courtyard-turned-environmental learning center. You can take a look at their FaceBook video here.

Dirksen Middle School was retrofitted with energy-efficient lighting (courtesy of TCP, an energy-efficient lighting company), which will reduce the school's carbon footprint by over 330,000 pounds (equivalent to planting 102 trees) and save $13,500 a year. In addition, the school received green bathroom renovations courtesy of Sloan, and green tools and elements for their learning spaces and curriculum.  

Lead sponsors TCP and EarthEra provided renewable energy that balanced the carbon emissions associated with 100% of the electricity used for the 2009-2010 school year. In addition, every student and faculty member received one renewable energy certificate offsetting 1,324 lbs of carbon emissions -- equivalent to the average sized vehicle driving 1,500 miles. Other lead sponsors included Sloan and the Plumbing Council of Chicagoland. Supporters included NOAA and the EnergyStar Program.  

EcoMedia worked with the Suburban Cook County Regional School District to provide a sustainable environmental program, along with outdoor/indoor projects and supplies. The makeover celebration took place in June 2010, in a student-filled auditorium at the Everett M. Dirksen Middle School.

You can take a look at their FaceBook video here.

As part of the renovation project at Miami's Northwestern High School, EarthEra provided renewable energy equivalents that balanced the carbon emissions associated with 100% of the electricity used for the 2009-2010 school year. In addition, every student and faculty member also received a renewable energy certificate offsetting 1,324 lbs of carbon emissions per person. The school has also been equipped with extensive energy efficiency lighting retrofits, courtesy of TCP, which will reduce the school's carbon footprint by over 1,700,000 pounds (equivalent to planting 519 trees), and will produce significant savings on energy bills. 

In addition, this school's makeover also included green restroom renovations, courtesy of Sloan, and green tools and elements for their learning spaces and curriculum. A solar installation in the school's courtyard, courtesy of Abender Solar, is planned for completion this summer. A computer connection monitoring the energy production of solar panels will offer students additional science curriculum opportunities.

"Recent events have demonstrated the importance of protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources," said Alberto M. Carvalho, Miami-Dade County Superintendent of Public Schools.  "The wonderful gifts that have been shared with our students at Miami Northwestern Senior High School will go a long way in accomplishing those goals, as well as teaching our students about taking care of the world in which we live." 

The makeover celebration in Miami took place in June, in the auditorium at Northwestern High School.

Did you know that EarthBox is a SPIN supplier? SPIN stands for S-mall P-lot IN-tensive gardening. This is

an easy-to-learn, inexpensive-to-implement vegetable farming system that makes it possible to earn income from land smaller than an acre. SPIN can work very well for those new to farming, as well as for experienced farmers who just want to change their approach. Since growers don't need to own their own land (you can affordably rent or barter a small piece of land), SPIN works in urban, suburban and small town settings alike, and fits into any lifestyle.

SPIN farmers can find many ways to take advantage of EarthBoxes. They can be used to intensify ground based production, by increasing the number of crops that can be grown on a plot during a growing season. For example, a ground based crop can be planted in a farm plot, which SPIN farming refers to as a "segment." This crop can be harvested and another ground based crop grown, while a third crop is growing in EarthBoxes in a separate area.The result is additional crops, without using extra land.

EarthBoxes also increase land-based options for urban SPIN farmers by enabling them to put contaminated sites into production. Crops can grow in the EarthBoxes on marginal or even polluted sites. The portability of the EarthBoxes is another advantage for SPIN farmers. Many urban SPIN farms occupy multiple locations, so having a movable growing medium is especially helpful in providing flexibility and increased yields.

For more information on SPIN farming, click here.  

Remember Captain Planet? He's still around, and still doing everything he can to save the world! The Captain Planet Foundation is committed to supporting hands-on environmental projects for young people, providing grants from $250 to $2,500 to school and community groups. Think you have what it takes to be a Planeteer? Just click here.

Want to increase your ecological literacy and spread the news about EarthBox? Click here. This is a cool "green" site that offers EarthBox Educators an opportunity to tell their stories online. We're hoping some of you will share!

By the way: to see some superb education videos, just click this link.

Educators, please mention the Source Code EDUDISC when ordering your EarthBox to be eligible for a free $50 EarthBox gift certificate! Winners will be selected from our customer base and announced in each issue of our newsletter.