Laura L. Barnes: Schools

[Schools] Collections of Visualizations on Geoscience Topics

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 22:14:03 GMT

The Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College, with support from the National Science Foundation, offers geoscience resources such as these annotated links to visualizations of a wide range of Earth and environment-related phenomena. The collections originate from a mix of media sources and government agencies, and cover topics from Atmosphere, Biosphere, and Climate to Earth Surface, Human Dimensions/Resources, Ocean (including hurricanes & tsunamis), Solid Earth, and more. [SEJ Useful links]

[Schools] New Ecotourism Curriculum Targets 34 Biodiversity Hotspots

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 17:57:55 GMT

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2006 - George Washington University has partnered with Conservation International to develop and implement an educational curriculum on ecotourism management. [GreenBiz.com]

[Schools] EPA Helps Schools and Child Care Facilities Reduce Lead in Drinking Water

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:21:37 GMT

(Washington, D.C. - January 26, 2006) EPA has released a specialized toolkit to encourage school officials and child care facilities to reduce lead in their drinking water. The "3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Child care Facilities Toolkit" contains materials to implement a voluntary Training, Testing, and Telling strategy.

"Our drinking water tools for schools teach lead prevention through action and awareness," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for water. "This new and improved guidance will help students, teachers, and parents have confidence in the quality of their school's tap water."

Testing water in schools and child care centers is important because children spend a significant portion of their days there. The "3Ts Toolkit" explains how to test for lead in drinking water; report results to parents, students, staff, and other interested parties; and take action to correct problems. The toolkit also includes an update to a 1994 EPA technical guidance to help schools design and implement testing programs. Steps in the program include:

Collecting information on school drinking water and identifying assistance to implement a school lead control program.
Developing a plumbing profile.
Developing a drinking water testing plan.
Testing the facilities' drinking water for lead.
Correcting problems when elevated lead levels are found.
Communicating with the school community about a school lead-control program.

EPA developed the toolkit in conjunction with nongovernment organizations and several federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Education, whose Safe and Drug-Free School Coordinators will help promote and distribute the package to schools.

Deborah Price, assistant deputy secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools at the Department of Education, said, "An unhealthy school environment is a serious barrier to learning. This toolkit will help schools work with their community partners to understand and reduce children's lead exposure from drinking water."

Printed copies of the toolkit will be available through the Water Resource Center at 800-832-7828 and through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at: 800-426-4791. To view the toolkit visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/schools/guidance.html.

EPA will also distribute toolkits at conferences attended by school officials and child care providers throughout 2006. Information about drinking water and children's health is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/kidshealth.

[Schools] Michigan middle school students write about saving Great Lakes

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:18:43 GMT

Students discuss their concerns and share their recommendations for improving the environment in the Great Lakes region. [Source: Milford (MI) Times via GLIN Daily News]

[Schools] Waldorf School Aims for Top Green Building Achievement

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 22:18:02 GMT

Charlottesville Virginia's new Charlottesville Waldorf School is in the midst of a $6.2 million capital campaign designed to help the school become the first LEED Platinum elementary school in the country. It will feature a completely integrated "green" design featuring straw-bale construction, a rammed-earth wall, a living roof, geothermal heating and cooling, water reclamation and passive solar technologies. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

[Grants] Project Orange Thumb

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:17:56 GMT

Fiskars Garden & Outdoor Living is now accepting applications for its 2006 Project Orange Thumb grants
program. The company created Project Orange Thumb to support community garden groups in the U.S. with tools and materials.

Project Orange Thumb recipients will receive grants of up to $1,500 in Fiskars Garden Tools (retail value), and up to $800 in gardening-related materials such as plants, seeds, mulch, etc. Recipients will also receive Project Orange Thumb t-shirts for garden members/volunteers.

Gardens and/or gardening projects geared toward community involvement, neighborhood beautification, sustainable agriculture, and/or horticultural education are eligible Community garden groups, as well as schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, etc. are encouraged to apply. Only group applications will be considered; single individuals are not eligible. The program is open to any community garden in the fifty states and the District of Columbia.

[Grants] Build-A-Bear Workshop's Huggable Heroes program

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:16:01 GMT

Now in its third year, the Build-A-Bear Workshop's Huggable Heroes program seeks to reward kids who demonstrate extraordinary service to their local communities.

Build-A-Bear Workshop seeks nominations of young people who have made a difference to the life of their communities to be named 2006 Huggable Heroes. Nominations will be accepted of young people who are 18 years of age or younger and are legal residents of the United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Twelve young people will be selected and recognized as 2006 Huggable Heroes. Each of the twelve honorees will be rewarded with a $2,500 donation to help further their cause along with a trip to Los Angeles, where they will be recognized for their achievements.

Nominees may perform their community service as an individual working within a group or on an individual basis. Self-nominations will be accepted. Nomination guidelines and forms are available at the company's Web site.

[Schools] Earn a Degree to Implement Renewable Energy

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:29:12 GMT

A new onsite graduate program from the New College of California in the Bay Area is offering an accredited Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Sustainable Enterprise. Dubbed the "Green MBA," its curriculum comprises basic business fundamentals that provide essential general business skills, courses that focus on sustainability and entrepreneurship, and a core leadership series. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

[Schools] Energy Harvest Grants Fund Public Solar PV Systems

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:27:55 GMT

Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty joined community leaders and alternative energy experts in dedicating new solar panels installed in the Media Borough public library and elementary school -- a project funded in part by the Pennsylvania Energy Harvest Grant Program. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

[Schools] Two MW of Solar Destined for New Jersey Schools

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:24:26 GMT

New The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) joined the Bayonne Board of Education and the state Board of Education in dedicating the East Coast's largest installation of electricity-saving photovoltaic (PV) roof panels. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

[Schools] Back to high school

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:00:54 GMT

Researchers spend a lot of time teaching students in universities, but how many venture into secondary schools? Thanks to the Researchers in Residence programme, more than 3,500 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in Britain have been placed in more than 2,000 secondary schools across the country since the programme began in 1995. They have worked with some 400,000 pupils between the ages of 11 and 18. [Source: Nature]

[Schools] Dream big

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:59:38 GMT

Being an astronaut, video-game designer or museum curator may be every child scientist's dream. Kendall Powell talks to the creative scientists who followed the fantasy. [Source: Nature]

[Grants] Project AWARE Foundation

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 15:51:48 GMT

The Project AWARE Foundation is committed to the conservation and preservation of the aquatic environment and its resources throughout the world. The Foundation will consider funding projects that focus on its priorities: coral reef conservation, shark protection, aquatic ecotourism, aquatic education (particularly for youth), and direct conservation activities in both marine and freshwater for up to $10,000. Projects which incorporate public education, grassroots involvement, and research that leads to conservation are examples of the types of projects the Foundation supports. The application deadlines are March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15, annually.

[Schools] Turn the page: Eco-Cycle project gives old books to children in need

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 21:56:19 GMT

Eco-Cycle's Children's Used Book Project, now in its second year, has placed 13,500 salvaged books into the hands of Boulder area children; another 1,000 books were donated to children in the regions affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. [Source: Longmont (CO) Daily Times Call]

[Schools] The greening of America's campuses

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:24:05 GMT

Colleges have long marketed their campus amenities, their rosters of scholars, their selectivity and study-abroad programs. To that list, add one more thing: their green credentials. [Source: New York Times News Service via AZCentral.com]

[Green building] Ontario: New Architectural Technology Program Emphasizes "Green" Building Design

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 17:58:14 GMT

Source: Centennial College via CNW Group, 1/12/06.

In response to a world grappling with finite supplies of fossil fuels and other resources, Centennial College has launched a new full-time program in architectural technology that emphasizes sustainable building design and construction. The three-year program prepares students to work as technologists alongside architects, engineers, builders, contractors and municipal building departments. Using state-of-the-art computer technology, students will learn to create designs, construction drawings and specifications for residential, commercial and institutional buildings. [Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) News]

[Schools] Free EPA Software Tool Will Help Schools Protect Kids' Learning Environment

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:53:28 GMT

EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson today announced the release of a new tool to help schools identify and prevent health, safety and environmental problems before they arise, building on the agency's voluntary school indoor air quality program. Using a holistic approach to school health, EPA's new Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT) is a free software tool that school districts can customize to assess potential issues such as mold, asbestos and lead paint, then evaluate and manage information on conditions at each school.

"In elementary school, we learned that when we work alone, we can only accomplish so much; real success comes through teamwork, sharing and cooperation," said Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "EPA is working with schools across the country to provide clean, healthy learning environments for the leaders of tomorrow."

The announcement took place at EPA's sixth annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Symposium, with more than 500 school officials from across the country in attendance. The symposium featured an awards ceremony to recognize individuals and schools demonstrating extraordinary commitments to improving indoor air quality for the nation's schoolchildren. Winners are listed below.

Indoor air quality can also impact a student's performance. Students who are exposed to poor indoor air quality experience decreased performance, diminished concentration levels and score consistently lower on standardized tests than those students attending schools with good air quality. According to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Education Research and Improvement, students attending schools with poor indoor air quality score 11 percent lower on standardized tests than those students attending schools in good condition.

Since the creation of the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) program, more than 26,000 schools across the country have adopted IAQ management programs consistent with EPA's guidance. The IAQ TfS program teaches schools how to identify, resolve, and prevent IAQ problems through low and no-cost measures. The program explains IAQ management, facility planning and maintenance, financing, communications, and emergency response. An IAQ Tools for Schools Kit also includes easy-to-use checklists for all school personnel, sample management plans, and a unique indoor air problem-solving wheel.

EPA's annual IAQ Tools for Schools Excellence Awards honor schools and school districts that have exemplary IAQ programs in their schools ranging from designing a new school building free of toxins and other hazards to developing district-wide policies for continuous training and maintenance.

2005 Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Excellence Award Winners

1. Cecil County Public Schools, Cecil County, Md.
2. Hartford Public Schools, Hartford, Conn.
3. Katy Independent School District, Katy, Texas
4. The School Board of Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
5. Vashon Island School District, Vashon Island, Wash.
6. Wichita Public Schools, Wichita, Kan.

2005 Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Model of Sustained Excellence Award Winner

1. Blue Valley School District #229, Overland Park, Kan.

2005 Special Achievement Award Winners

1. Young Parent Program (A Hydroville Project), Springfield School District, Springfield, Ore.
2. Science Research Club, Beaverton School District, Beaverton, Ore.

2005 Radon in Schools Excellence Award Winner

1. The Town of Andover, Mass.

HealthySEAT is voluntary and helps school districts track all of their environmental, health and safety information in a single database. The program includes a complete checklist of EPA recommendations and regulatory requirements on dozens of health and safety issues. Schools can download a free copy of HealthySEAT and learn more about the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program and the 2006 National Symposium at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools.

[Schools] The State of State Science Standards 2005

Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:30:22 GMT

Science Education
Source: Thomas B. Fordham Institute
The State of State Science Standards 2005
"Science education in America is under attack, with "discovery learning" on one flank and the Discovery Institute on the other. That's the core finding of our just-released comprehensive review of state science standards, the first since 2000. Written by pre-eminent biologist Paul R. Gross, The State of State Science Standards finds that even though the majority of states have reworked, or crafted from scratch, their science standards over the past five years, we're no better off now than before. That's the bad news. The good news is that many of the standards are easily fixed. More involvement by bench scientists, and better editing, could greatly improve what's out there. Plus, there are a number of excellent models to follow (California, Massachusetts, and South Carolina, for example). The public's anxiety about the future of our nation's scientific prowess is palpable and reasonable. How serious are we in addressing their concerns? To find out, read the report." Individual state reports available. [ResourceShelf's DocuTicker]

[Schools] Solar energy becomes part of the lesson plan at 2 local schools

Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:12:18 GMT

Somers and Clarkstown South are among 50 high schools in the state to receive systems that convert sunlight to electricity as part of a state program to educate New Yorkers about solar energy.

For more information, visit http://www.powernaturally.org/programs/SchoolPowerNaturally/default.asp?i=9. [Source: The Journal News.com]

[Grants] Informal Science Education (ISE)

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 16:56:16 GMT

The ISE program invests in projects that develop and implement informal learning experiences designed to increase interest, engagement, and understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by individuals of all ages and backgrounds, as well as projects that advance knowledge and practice of informal science education. Projects may target either public audiences or professionals whose work directly affects informal STEM learning. ISE projects are expected to demonstrate strategic impact, innovation, and collaboration.(A PureEdge download package is available for this opportunity for submission via Grants.gov.)

[Schools] Many Missouri Schools Join 'Go Solar' Program

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 16:24:16 GMT

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that three St. Louis-area schools have joined the list of Missouri Schools Going Solar: Rockwood South Middle School, South Technical High School and Whitfield School, bringing the total of Missouri Schools Going Solar participants to 14, including 10 St. Louis-area schools. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

[Schools] Clarion University Enters the Solar Age

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 16:18:44 GMT

As volatile oil prices ping-pong with the weather and natural gas prices shoot up over 30 percent with North America's dwindling supplies, Clarion University is looking beyond fossil-fuels to clean renewable energy from the sun to power its new hi-tech teaching facility. [Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

[Green lifestyle] The Big Picture

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 16:03:03 GMT

In the current issue of "This Green Life", Sheryl Eisenberg reflects on the environmental impact of disposable cameras.

[Schools] The Need for Healthier Schools

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 21:56:22 GMT

Source: Gotham Gazette, 12/12/05.

Stephen Boese, New York State director of the Healthy Schools Network, writes about environmental hazards at schools (often unknown or overlooked), progress that has been made toward improving school environmental conditions in New York, and what more can be done to make schools healthier. [Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) News]

[Lead] New resource guide on lead poisoning from NLM

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 21:41:20 GMT

A new web page that addresses the relationship between lead and human health has been added to the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Enviro-Health Links at http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/lead.html. This page provides links to selected web sites on exposure, treatment, and prevention of lead poisoning.

Lead is a naturally-occurring element that can be harmful to humans when ingested or inhaled. Lead poisoning can cause a number of adverse human health effects, but is particularly detrimental to the neurological development of children. People can be exposed to lead through the air, as well as through accidentally or intentionally eating soil or paint chips, and food or water contaminated with lead.

NLM also offers other Enviro-Health Links on topics such as:

Children's Environmental Health http://phpartners.org/cehir/sampler.html
Indoor Air Pollution http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/indoorairpollution.html
Outdoor Air Pollution http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/outdoorairpollution.html
Arsenic http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/arsenicandhumanhealth.html

For a complete list, see http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/envirohealthlinks.html.