National Environmental Education Week

It's National Environmental Education Week
http://www.eeweek. org/

Today is Monday of EE Week! Over 1,600 schools nature centers, zoos,
parks, museums, and aquariums are bringing environmental education to
their students in celebration of National Environmental Education
Week--thank you for your support!


In celebration of its Carbon Footprints theme, EE Week 2008 is proud
to announce the Zerofootprint carbon calculator specifically designed
for American students. Built by Zerofootprint, the EE Week Carbon
Calculator encourages students, classrooms, and entire schools to
measure and manage their own carbon footprints while developing
creative ways to curb their carbon output and slow climate change.
Students can compare their carbon footprints with students in other
schools, boys vs. girls and more! Access the EE Week Carbon
Calculator : http://zerofootprin t.net/youth/ neew

Each day of EE Week we will be providing tips for students and
teachers to help curb carbon footprints and protect the environment- -
check out the first tip below, and have a great EE Week!

Sincerely,

Karen Schultz
National Environmental Education Week Coordinator

P.S. It's not too late to register! Access the online registration
form.

Carbon Tip of the Day
Start an Anti-Idling Campaign
Curb greenhouse gas emissions in your school parking lot by starting
an anti-idling campaign in your school or district. The average
school bus burns half a gallon of fuel per hour when idling, emitting
11.1 pounds of carbon and costing school districts money. Diesel and
gasoline exhaust also poses a health hazard for teachers and
students, particularly those with asthma. Encourage your students to
ask their parents to turn off their cars when waiting for them after
school, and follow the EPA's tips for starting an anti-idling
campaign: http://epa.gov/ cleanschoolbus/ antiidling. htm

Local Partner Spotlight
Prior Lake-Savage Area School District, MN
The Prior Lake-Savage Area School District is celebrating EE Week
with challenges for students and teachers alike. Students are
invited to submit to the Environmental Poetry Contest and Nature
Photography display. Teachers are challenged to find the district's
Naturalist room to check out environmental teaching supplies.
Students will also kick off EE Week by assisting with the
groundbreaking of the new McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center.
Do you have EE Week plans that you'd like to spotlight in this
newsletter? Email them to us!

National Partner Spotlight
Earth Day Network: http://ww2.earthday .net/
Earth Day Network seeks to grow and diversify the environmental
movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle
for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. Their innovative
education initiatives focus on creating a new generation of
environmentally aware and democratically active citizens, as well as
building healthy, green schools and communities across the nation.

In honor of EE Week's Carbon Footprints theme, the Earth Day Network
has developed a special series of high school lesson plans on climate-
related topics. Today's featured lesson explores Biodiversity and
Climate.

Explore other climage change lessons in EE Week's Curricula Library.

At the National Environmental Education Foundation, we provide
objective environmental information to help Americans live better
every day. At a time of conflicting and challenging messages about
the state of our environment, we provide trusted knowledge, resources
and opportunities to improve our lives and the health of the planet.