January 2013 News 

In This Issue
The Green Difference Awards 2013
Beverly High School - A Green Inspiration
Reuse Marketplace Now Open
Maathai Award for Civic Participation in Sustainability
International Children's Painting Competition on the Environment
CamelBak Challenge
MA High Demand Scholarship Program
The Chemistry of Snowflakes
Computer Science Education Week 2012
Registration Open for 2013 Science Bowl
Green Scholars Program
National Green Week
Green Schools National Conference 2013
Grant Opportunities
Save the Date...

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Greetings!

 

   All of us at Green Schools want to take a moment to wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!  

       

The Green Difference Awards 2013 Nominations  

 

IS YOUR SCHOOL A LEADER IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND ACTIVISM? 

  

ITS TIME TO GET RECOGNIZED FOR THE GREAT THINGS YOU DO!

  GDA at State House

Green Schools continues to recognize Outstanding GREEN work being done in our Schools at: The Green Difference Awards.


This annual event will take place at The MA State House in the spring [Date TBD]


Green Difference Makers can be: Principals, Teachers, Advisors, Schools, Students, or School Groups/Clubs.  

 

Nomination forms are due February 20,2013

 

Download a Nomination Form Now

 

 Beverly High School - A Green Inspiration

 

Have you visited Beverly High School recently? If you haven't you're in for a treat when you stop in next. In early 2009 the Town of Beverly broke ground to construct a modern, energy-efficient, state of the art educational facility. Within a shorter than expected timeframe and a less than budgeted cost the school was quickly erected. Now it stands as a tribute to good environmental design for the region.

At a ceremony hosted by the Collaborative for high Performance Schools on November 15, 2012 representatives from Beverly were recognized for their achievements. The footprint for the school has been reduced significantly while simultaneously creating meeting space for Beverly residents. The building's roof reflects light while its exterior is lighted with lights that minimize light pollution. Its heating and cooling systems exceed the Massachusetts Building Energy Code by some thirty percent. Meanwhile existing photovoltaic cells and a wind turbine were left undisturbed. In fact these energy producers were complemented with an additional 83-Kwh rooftop photovoltaic system.

The school boasts a dedicated recycling room and specialized windows throughout the school that permit natural light to enter classrooms. During warmer months the windows may be shaded with specialized awnings. Even the air quality within the building has been improved with the use of walk-off mats, low VOC emitting materials and high efficiency HVAC filters.

Green Schools congratulates the city of Beverly for all they've achieved. Go Panthers!

Green Schools awarded Beverly High School with a Green Difference Award in March 2012.

 

We look forward to collaborating with school staff, students, and administration to continue the green trend by complementing it with Environmental Education and Community Action.

  
 Reuse Marketplace Now Open!

 

The Northeast Recycling Council has launched the Reuse Marketplace, a free regional network to find, sell, trade, or give away reusable and surplus items that would otherwise be disposed as trash.  This is an excellent resource for businesses, institutions, governments, and non-profit organizations to reduce their waste disposal and save money. This project was supported by MassDEP, several other Northeast states, and private business sponsors.  For more information, please see the attached announcement and press release from NERC. 

 

To learn more and to join, please visit www.reusemarketplace.org 

  

2012-2013 Maathai Award for Civic Participation in Sustainability

The Maathai Award for Civic Participation in Sustainability, inaugurated by The Rockefeller Foundation, The Bette Midler Family Trust, and MillionTreesNYC, is an annual $10,000 cash award granted to one female and one male New York City public high school senior. The award was established in honor of Dr. Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (2004), a visionary environmentalist, and founder of the Green Belt Movement, a tree-planting campaign to promote sustainable development, woman's empowerment, and democracy in Kenya.

 

The award is intended to be used by the student for their first year of college.

 

Deadline for submissions is January 4, 2013 (5pm). 

 

Visit MAS to view the complete application form and requirements.  

22nd International Children's Painting Competition on the Environment 

The Theme for this years competition is Water: The Source of Life

 

The International Children's Painting Competition on the Environment is organized every year by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), Bayer and Nikon Corporation. Some 3 million entries from children in more than 150 countries have been received since the competition's inception in 1991. 


The theme of the 22nd painting competition will be "Water: The Source of Life" and children will have until 28 February 2013 to submit their entries.  

Visit UNEP for more details

 

CamelBak Challenge


CamelBak wants to know what you would do with $500 and 100 water bottles. This grant aids pioneering projects and initiatives that are millennial-developed to address environmental issues and create sustainable, eco-friendly practices in local communities around water conservation. The top 10 ideas will be granted funding and water bottles along with technical support and guidance from Outdoor Nation. 
 
Apply by December 21st. Click here to submit an application. 
Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship Program

The Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship Program was created by the Massachusetts Legislature to support economic growth and development. The purpose is to encourage degree completion in high demand disciplines that will help address the workforce needs of the Commonwealth by providing scholarship assistance to support the educational costs of students pursuing such programs of study.

 

Application Deadline: January 15, 2013 

 

Click more details

The Chemistry of Snowflakes

 

Connect your chemistry lesson to the season!

 

Watch a COOL video that tracks formation of snowflakes from their origins in bits of dust in clouds that become droplets of water falling to Earth. 

 

 

Computer Science Education Week in December

 



CSEd Week 2012 was held December 9 to 15, 2012.  The week was a highly distributed celebration of the impact of computing and the need for 

computer science education.

 

 

Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) education has fallen woefully behind in preparing students with the fundamental computer science knowledge and skills they need for 21st century careers.

 

Computer Science is:

  • Computing
  • Computer Engineering
  • Informatics
  • Information Technology
  • Software Engineering
  • Information Systems
Click here to learn more about how your state is doing.
 
Click here for curriculum resources that provide useful examples of ways in which the learning standards described in the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards can be met. 

 

Registration Now Open for 2013 Science Bowl Teams

Designed to encourage students to excel in science and math and to pursue careers in those fields, the National Science Bowl brings together thousands of middle and high school students from across the country to compete on a range of science disciplines in a fast-paced, Jeopardy-style format. 

 

To register for their respective regional competitions in the upcoming Science Bowl, teams should go to the National Science Bowl website. In addition to basic registration information, the website also provides information on how teams can prepare and what they can expect in the upcoming regional events

   
National Event: April 25 - 29, 2013 in Washington, DC. 
Green Scholars Program -  A Green Difference Award Winning Program

 

Do you want to bring an environmental sustainability program to your school that requires neither a classroom nor funding?

 

The national award-winning Green Scholars program utilizes adventure and service learning to engage students as change-agents through independent projects within their school or community. "Green Scholars cultivates empowered, informed, and progressive student entrepreneurial leaders who become equipped to face 21st century environmental challenges."
 

Location: Manchester Essex Regional High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA   

Tuition: $100 includes workshop fee, lunch, access to Green Scholars planning tools, sample successful projects and manual.

 

Click for more information and how to register 

 

Contact Eric Magers (NSSP Coordinator) for questions @ greenteam@mersd.org or 978.525.6469

 

National Green Week 
It's not too early to start planning for 
National Green Week!
  
This year, National Green Week kicks off February 4-8, 2013 but you can choose any week from Feb. 4 through April 30 to participate.

 

National Green Week is an annual event that empowers schools to engage in sustainability focused lessons, projects or activities between February 4 and the end of Earth Month (April).

 

Participating districts, schools, classrooms or youth groups choose a week, and select your 'green theme.'

 

Check out Green Education Foundation's sustainability focused programs to learn more.

 

Green Schools National Conference 2013

 ALL SHADES OF GREEN 

Green Schools National Conference examines environmental literacy, energy efficiency, healthier food, eco-friendly purchasing and more

 

There are many shades of green, and they'll all be represented early next year at one of the largest national gatherings of 'green school' administrators, teachers, students and parents.

 

The 3rd annual Green Schools National Conference, set for Feb. 22-24, 2013, in West Palm Beach, Fl, is sponsored by the Green Schools National Network (GSNN) and has a stated goal of "developing healthy and sustainable schools across America."

 

GSNC-Early Bird Reduced Registration October 21st - November 21st  includes a free EcoCo t-shirt  

For more information or to register, visit www.greenschoolsnationalconference.org

 
Grant Opportunities
DoSomething.org Seed Grants  Deadline: Ongoing

Are you working to start a community action project or program with your friends? Do you need money to put your ideas into action? A $500 Do Something Seed Grant is given out every week to help young people just like YOU! These grants can be used towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started, or to jump-start your program and realize your ideas for the first time. These grants can also be used towards projects that are already developed and sustainable, towards the next steps of your project and organization to help you as you look to expand your project and grow your impact. Click Here   

 

Save the Date...
NSSP [North Shore Sustainability Partnerships] Evening Meeting 
January 9, 2013 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Waring School, Beverly, MA
Robin Organ will be presenting 
 
The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators 

Application deadline is January 31, 2013

Click here

 

Sincerely,

Robin Organ

Founder and Executive Director

Green Schools