Green Education

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noreply@blogger.com (zfowler) — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:04:00 +0000

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Earth Partnership for Schools Summer Institute: �Habitat Restoration-Based Teacher Professional Development

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany Dabestani) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:38:00 +0000

When: Monday through Friday, July 12th-16th
Where: Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District Center

The Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS)-Central Minnesota Partnership is currently seeking K-12 school teams to apply for the 2010 graduate level habitat restoration institute. Team members receive at no cost most meals and CEU graduate credits at the University of Wisconsin for participation in the institute. This summer institute will provide opportunities for participants to learn more about the restoration process, find support and resources for future assistance in school site restoration, learn more about ecological restoration and project planning, gain skills and collaborative strategies to strengthen school teams and form community support for restoration efforts.

Summer Institute Participants receive:
� A comprehensive EPS Curriculum Guide
� Instruction and hands-on participation in EPS activities
� Site visits to restoration projects
� CEU graduate credits for attending

Any 2-4 member team of K-12 teachers, administrators, non-formal educators and resource people may apply. Space is limited, so apply now!

Application Deadline: June 14th

For more information, contact Christine Jacobsen at cjacobsen@papionrd.org

Grassroots Competition Underway!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Smith) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:57:00 +0000

The Education Council has launched it's second annual Grassroots Competition. All students throughout the Metro area in middle or high school are eligible to enter. Please see the Grassroots section of the GOC website to learn how to enter.
If your school is a winner, you could win a $1000 grant for your school!
Registration ends February 13th, 2010.

Green Education Council Update

noreply@blogger.com (ktorpy) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:32:00 +0000

The Green Education Council (GEC) is wrapping up its first Grassroots Student Environmental Competition. Middle and high school students from across the Metro created projects including recycling, energy conservation, and school gardens�just to name a few. The winners will receive grant money for their school to further the efforts of the project. Join us at Earth Day Omaha, where we will award the winners on center stage.

The Environmental Resource Guide has helped many teachers find opportunities for environmental field trips, in-class presentations, and funding that is available in the Metro area. This year, the GEC is updating the guide to include more information and opportunities for teachers to bring green living into the classroom. If your company would like to be listed in the Resource Guide, please contact Barbi Hayes at bahayes@msn.com.

The second annual Roundtable Discussion on Green Schools and Environmental Education will take place on June 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the UNO Alumni Center. This year, we will hear from educators who have implemented environmental projects at their schools in order to better understand some common challenges and benefits that educators face when getting started. We will also discuss new and exciting ways the Green Omaha Coalition can work with schools to help teach Omaha youth to care and respect the environment. All teachers, administrators, and GEC council members are welcome to attend. Please RSVP to Dave Lampe at dave.lampe@lra-inc.com.

-Kelly Smith

noreply@blogger.com (wsharrison) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Green Education Council 2008 Achievements

1. EcoHuts Exhibit. The GEC assisted with the development and implementation of Fontenelle Nature Association�s EcoHuts Exhibit.
-Exhibits that illustrated a wide range of environmental possibilities as it relates to building
-Exhibits that were fun, informative and hands-on
-Exhibits that included volunteer work from architects, college students and contractors

2. Roundtable Discussion on Green Schools and Environmental Education. The GEC hosted discussions with educators and administrators on what kind of environmental programs are being implemented in schools and their needs as it relates to environmental education and green facilities management. Five school districts were represented at the event.

Here are just a few of the suggested needs:

-Expanded recycling programs
-Educator workshops on environmental education
-Green online database for educators
-Resources for green building maintenance
-Grant information for green projects

3. Omaha Metro Environmental Education Resource Guide. The GEC developed a resource guide for teachers and the general public that provides information about metro area environmental educational programs.

-Developed a database of environmental education program providers in the metro area (40 identified)
-Solicited information from those providers about their programs and assembled the responses into a resource guide (30 responses)
-Developed a bookmark as a direct handout to announce the resource guide and direct people to the website
-Distributed, via e-mail, information regarding the resource guide to Omaha Public Schools, District 66 Schools, Bellevue Public Schools, Creighton Prep and Brownell-Talbot

4. Outreach. The GEC made efforts to develop its relationships with the educational community and promote environmental education and the GEC.
-Coordinate with Brownell-Talbot to start-up a �green� program
-Bellevue�s Two Springs Elementary School Presentation to PTA
-NATS (Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science) Conference Presentation
-Key Women Educators � Delta Kappa Gamma Presentation
-Farm-2-School committee � researching and working on ways to get local, healthy food into schools. Partnering with Activate Omaha Kids to make contact with School Wellness programs.
-High Performance Green Schools presentation review
-On-going discussions with Saddlebrook library and community center to collaborate on a �green library� section at its facility
-Roncalli High School meeting on incorporating environmental education into Cole Creek channel improvements
-Planning efforts started for the 2009 Green Schools Competition (Modeled after Do Something.Org � Increase Your Green)
-Support for recycling efforts in schools through guidance from Nebraska State Recycling Association (particularly with OPS and Hauler Contract)
-Coordination with OPPD on its grant program with UNO

Grassroots: Students Going Green

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Smith) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:08:00 +0000

The Green Education Council proudly announces Grassroots: Students Going Green! Grassroots is an annual competition open to middle and high school students in the Metro area. The competition challenges students to develop a project to improve their school's impact on the environment. The competition will be judged on four main criteria.
They are:
1. Innovation and creativity
2. Positive environmental impacts
3. The overall impact of the project
4. Potential for continuation or expansion

The grand prize winner will receive a $1000 grant for his or her school to continue the project. Second and Third place winners will receive $500 grants.

The Education Council plans to make this an annual event to take place every Spring.

Join us at the Earth Day Omaha celebration, April 18th, where we will announce the winners on the main stage.

Registration ends February 6th, enter now!

noreply@blogger.com (wsharrison) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:41:00 +0000

Green Education Council 2008 Achievements

The Green Education Council has developed as a resource for our local educators. Chaired by David Lampe, the GEC has produced the Environmental Education Resource Guide. This guide was compiled to provide educators a list of the environmental education opportunities that are available in the Omaha area. With Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, David Lampe, Barbi Hayes and Larry Hopp developed EcoHuts, an explorative education exhibit of green technologies and strategies with hands-on operation that enticed children to interact.

GOC Environmental Education Resource Guide is Available

noreply@blogger.com (ktorpy) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:25:00 +0000

The new Omaha Metro Environmental Education Resource Guide is now available on the GOC Web site. The guide was compiled to provide educators a list of environmental education opportunities available in the Omaha area and to provide detailed information regarding their programs.

Our hope is that educators will discover new organizations they didn�t know of already, as well as different programs at some of the better known organizations.

Green Education Council Works with, Assists Educators

noreply@blogger.com (wsharrison) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:10:00 +0000

by Kelly Smith

The Green Education Council (GEC) supports the Omaha educational community in the pursuit of greener, more sustainable schools and education programs. Here is a look at our current projects.

The GEC is holding a teacher forum in June to hear more about the current environmental programs taking place in Omaha and to learn what educators hope to develop in their schools. This meeting will be a springboard for the council to develop goals and projects for specific schools.

We also are busy working on a resource guide to be made available to metro area educators. The guide will feature providers in the area who offer field trips, educational materials, service opportunities or other services that would aid teachers in environmental education.

If you would like to join the GEC or know someone who might want to join, please contact Dave Lampe at Dave.Lampe@lra-inc.com.

Thank You Omaha Educators!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Smith) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:24:00 +0000

Our Roundtable Discussion on Green Education was a big success thanks to so many dedicated teachers and school staff. We had representatives from OPS, Bellevue, Creighton Prep, Brownell Talbot, Duchesne Academy and Westside. We asked local school staff how they wanted their schools to go green and got some great responses.

Here are just a few of the many suggestions: Recycling, Educator Workshops, a Green Online Database, Resources for Green Building Maintenance and Grant Information for Green Projects.

We learned so much and are more excited than ever to help schools go green!

Calling all teachers!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Smith) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:21:00 +0000

The GEC is planning it's first Round Table Discussion on Green Schools and Environmental Education to be held at the UNO Alumni Center on June 3rd from 2-4PM.
We know that there are a number of teachers in the Omaha area dedicated to teaching environmental stewardship to their students. We hope that they will come on Tuesday to meet us! In addition to hearing about what is already happening in schools, we want to know what other projects we can collaborate on and begin a healthy, productive dialogue within Metro School Districts.
To reserve your space at the event, contact Dave Lampe at Dave.Lampe@LRA-INC.com

Greetings from the Green Education Council!

noreply@blogger.com (zfowler) — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:06:00 +0000

The Green Education Council is an organizing group that works with local school districts and universities to infuse sustainable education into curriculum and green operations in educational facilities.

Contact Green Education