Educating Tomorrow

Greetings!

Check out this article on our activities... GO TEAM!

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/teachers-nyc-students-recycle.html

This message was sent to me recently and I found it fascinating!!       Subject NWF Report:  How an "indoor childhood" affects classroom performance         (1)                                                                           

Dear Colleagues,

As American childhood has steadily moved indoors in the past 12 to 15
years, outdoor play is increasingly rare.   The weekly indoor-outdoor
time ratio is now about 10 to one on the indoor side.   We wondered what
effect this modern "indoor childhood" is having on the quality of K-12
education and the average student's readiness to learn in the classroom.

In this back-to-schools time period -- Research shows children are less
fit, have shorter attention spans and are less ready to be
high-performance learners without a greater emphasis on regular outdoor
time such as a daily Green Hour.

Our new NWF report: Time Out: Using The Outdoors to Enhance Classroom
Performance is available at:
http://www.nwf.org/nwfwebadmin/binaryVault/Time%20Out%20with%20BOT%20Activities1.pdf

Best,

Kevin C.
 (See attached file: Time Out Press Release 9-2-09.doc)

Please check out the video Mitchel Porcelen, a Special Education Teacher from MS 51 
in Brooklyn made with his students at the end of the school year. 
The focus is on climate change, air quality, and pollution reduction. 
The more hits they get, the more funding they get for the next project. 
Please also pass along the link to interested people. 
 
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/less-cars-better-air-nyc/

“Sustainability Starts At School”

Join us for the
UFT Green Schools Committee monthly meeting.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
   
Who:        Anyone interested in “greening” NYC schools

What:    Agenda:   
- Reflections on this year’s work
- Planning for next year
- Join the leadership team

When:      Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Snacks & Networking 4:00-4:30pm
Meeting 4:30–6:30pm

Where:    UFT Headquarters 
50 Broadway, New York, NY 10004

Please RSVP: uftgreenschools@uft.org

The UFT Green Schools Committee was established to help realize successful school recycling programs in all NYC schools. Come and join our Leadership Team: Micki Josi, Coquille Houshour, Patrick Hess, Jacqulyn Bodenmiller, Shannon Buckley-Shaklee, Juliana Germak, Hope Kitts, Mitchell Porcelyn, Jonathan Pereira and Justlin LeWinter to envision the sustainability in our schools. 

Find out more at http://www.uft.org/member/committees/.

Check out our article in the New York Teacher:

http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/around/how_green_is_your_school/

Plus John Shea of the DOE's School Facilities is coming to our next meeting:  Tuesday, May 19th (see attached)

“Sustainability Starts At School”

Join us for the
UFT Green Schools Committee monthly meeting.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
   
Who:        Anyone interested in “greening” NYC schools

What:    Agenda:   
- Partnering with the DOE Sustainability Committee
- Recycling Coordinator Position
- Training for Custodians & Recycling Coordinators
- Storage & Collection Issues
- Recycling Supplies
- Environmental Education
- Green Schools Alliance Pledge
- Community Service

When:      Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Snacks & Networking 4:00-4:30pm
Meeting 4:30–6:30pm

Where:    UFT Headquarters 
50 Broadway, New York, NY 10004

Please RSVP: uftgreenschools@uft.org

The UFT Green Schools Committee was established to help realize successful school recycling programs in all NYC schools. Come and join our Leadership Team: Micki Josi, Coquille Houshour, Patrick Hess, Jacqulyn Bodenmiller, Shannon Buckley-Shaklee, Juliana Germak, Hope Kitts, Mitchell Porcelyn, Jonathan Pereira and Justlin LeWinter to envision the sustainability in our schools. 

Find out more at http://www.uft.org/member/committees/.

3^rd Thursday Forum:

Greening Your School: From Green Roofs to Recycling

Date:

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Time:

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Pricing:

$10 suggested donation

Reservations: send to bcueinfo@bcue.org or call 718-788-8500 x263. Reservations encouraged online (eventbrite link to be posted on site)

Partners:

Alive Structures

Arturo Garcia-Costas/ NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

CUE

Cloud Institute

Blurb:

Join this crash course on greening your school from the issues you’ll encounter installing a green roof, to creative ways of incorporating sustainability themes into the classroom.  Join local experts to discuss easy to implement projects, ways of getting environmental projects funded, opportunities for nonprofit partnerships, and what has (and hasn’t) worked in local schools.

Location:

Center for the Urban Environment, 168 7 Street, Brooklyn, NY (Garden Room)

Aisha Glover

Director, Public Affairs

Center for the Urban Environment

168 7 Street

Brooklyn, NY 11215

718-788-8500 x260

718-499-3750- fax

www.bcue.org

What’s New:

Click here to support our programs and make a tax-deductible donation to CUE.

Click here to view all our newest educational programs in the CUE Catalog.

    
    WORM COMPOST WORKSHOP

You can recycle food waste in your classroom or at home with WORMS…
Fun, Educational & Environmentally Friendly….
Did you know that all food waste and biodegradable items that end up in a landfill do not become compost to benefit the earth’s soil since they are not exposed to the right conditions to break down?  Plus, they produce methane gas, a leading cause of global warming.  We can fix all of that by composting!

Who:    Brooklyn Botanic Garden Master Composter Ms. Josi will present this workshop for all interested teachers, parents & kids.

What:     Join us at MS 447 – The Math and Science Exploratory School to learn about setting up a worm bin to compost in your classroom or at home and get your hands dirty harvesting a worm bin.  It’s a fun way to teach kids about compost, worms, waste management, science and gardening.

When:         Thursday, April 2, 4-6pm 

Where:         MS 447 – Math & Science Exploratory School
        345 Dean Street (Room 437A) Brooklyn, NY 11217

Why:     To learn about Vermicomposting (Worm Composting), socialize & eat yummy snacks

Cost:     The Workshop is FREE.
At the workshop you can obtain a coupon to buy your own worm bin and one-pound of red worms to start your own worm compost.

PLANNING TO ATTEND?
For questions or to sign up, contact Micki Josi at mjosi@ms447.org
PLEASE RSVP if you plan to attend since space is limited. 

Feel free to bring food scraps (raw fruits & veggies) to feed the worm and/or a Tupperware container to bring home compost.

To Learn More about Composting Visit: http://www.nyccompost.org/ or www.bbg.org/compost

This event is cosponsored by MS 447 and Educating Tomorrow.

We believe our schools must take the lead in moving toward a greener future by providing our children and future leaders with an environmental education and exemplary environmental programs, such as school recycling. Find out more at www.educatingtomorrow.org.

We hope to see you at our next monthly meeting, "Together We Make Schools Green".
   
Who: Anyone interested in "greening" NYC schools (You will come away with something you can do to help!)

What:
-    Finalize plans for our April 22, 2009 Earth Day event
-    Network with other people interested in school recycling, compost, gardening, & waste reduction
-    Discuss Strategies for accomplishing short-term goals
-    Sub-Committee Updates

When: Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 4:30–6:00pm

Where:
UFT Headquarters 
50 Broadway, New York, NY 10004
Room G

RSVP: uftgreenschools@uft.org

*Join us for a workshop for teachers on how to compost with worms in schools on May 5, 4:30-6:30 PM. The workshop will be led by Brooklyn Botanic Garden Master Composters using Brooklyn Botanic Garden workshop curriculum and materials. All participating teachers will receive a coupon to purchase one pound of red wiggler worms and a worm condo at a discounted price of $40. The workshop is part of the New York Compost Project, which aims to divert compostable materials from our waste stream., shoot us an email at uftgreenschools@uft.org.

**Also, PLEASE POST the attached meeting flyer and and our Committee flyer at your school. Thanks for your help!

The UFT Green Schools Committee was established to help realize successful school recycling programs in all NYC schools. We have a great Leadership Team: Micki Josi, Coquille Houshour, Patrick Hess, Matt Sheenan, Eileen Foster, Jacqulyn Bodenmiller, Shannon Buckley-Shaklee, Juliana Germak, Hope Kitts, Mitchell Porcelyn, Jonathan Pereira and Justlin LeWinter.

Find out more at http://www.uft.org/member/committees/.

If you are interesting in coming to my place for a workshop on worm composting and to enjoy a potluck... email me directly for the info at micki@educatingtomorrow.org

“Collaborating On-line:
Together We Make Schools Green”

Join us for Educating Tomorrow and
the UFT Green Schools Committee monthly meeting.
   
Who:        People interested in “greening” NYC schools
What:       Network; take part in a discussion on collaborating on-line with a “green” community, plus we  will hear from CENYC's Teen Speakers Bureau, a group of high schools students will present on what they do to get the message out about school recycling.
When:      Tuesday, December 16, 4–6:00pm
(networking from 4-4:30)
Where:    UFT Headquarters 
50 Broadway, New York, NY 10004

Please RSVP: info@educatingtomorrow.org

Coquille Houshour & Micki Josi founded Educating Tomorrow to help realize successful school recycling programs in all NYC schools. They are working with other teachers to form a UFT Green Schools Committee. Find out more at www.educatingtomorrow.org.

"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead