Get Involved
Climate Change LIVE Partners Are Here to Help You Get Started!
Plant a Tree or Become a Tree City USA!
From the Arbor Day Foundation
http://www.arborday.org
Calculate Your Carbon Savings
From the US Environmental Protection Agency
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/household-carbon-footprint-calculator
Save Water with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Sense Program
http://www3.epa.gov/watersense/kids/index.html
Become a National Wildlife Federation Eco-Schools USA
From the National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools-USA.aspx
Eco-Schools USA is a holistic program. It strives to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of the life and culture of a school, including students, teachers, administrative staff, non-teaching staff and parents, as well as the local community. Eco-Schools USA works to extend learning beyond the classroom and develop responsible environmental attitudes and commitments, both at home and in the wider community. Whether you are a teacher, student, administrator or facilities manager, the Eco-Schools USA program can benefit your school and local communities.
Become One of Project Learning Tree and U.S. Forest Service’s GreenSchools!
From Project Learning Tree
http://www.plt.org/greenschools
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) GreenSchools! is a nationwide environmental service-learning program that inspires students to take personal responsibility for improving the environment at their school, at home, and in their community. Students, teachers, and school staff receive tools, training, and resources for student-led Green Teams to create healthier schools – and save money. PLTGreenSchools! helps improve students’ academic performance in science, technology, engineering, and math, develops students’ critical thinking skills, and grows student leaders.
Become a Green School with the Green Schools Alliance
https://www.greenschoolsalliance.org/home
Uniquely created by schools for schools, the GSA is a global network of schools represented by Sustainability Coordinators -- faculty, staff. students, administrators and others -- working together to solve climate and conservation challenges. GSA Member Schools share and implement sustainable best practices, and promote connections between schools, communities, and the environments that sustain them. We do this by: creating Peer-to-Peer forums; exchanging resources; offering original programs and curriculum developed by Member Schools' goals, vision and experience; and connecting youth to nature. GSA schools set and meet goals, and quantify progress. They coordinate governance, operations and curriculum to advance sustainability.
Submit Your School’s Green Projects for the Environmental Protection Agency’s President’s Environmental Youth Awards
From the US Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award
One outstanding project from each region is selected for national recognition. Projects are developed by young individuals, school classes (K-12), summer camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental stewardship. Winning projects in the past have covered a wide range of subject areas, including: environmental science projects; recycling programs in schools and communities; construction of nature preserves; major tree planting programs; and videos, skits, and newsletters that focused on environmental issues. Evaluation results consistently demonstrate that the experience is frequently a life-changing event for many of the young people and sponsors. The deadline is December 31 of each year.
Become a Citizen Scientist on NEON's Project BudBurst
From NEON's Project BudBurst
http://www.budburst.org/
Project BudBurst includes easy-to-use materials for teachers and student groups. Project BudBurst, a NEON citizen science education program, is a network of people across the United States who monitor plants as the seasons change. We are a national field campaign designed to engage the public in the collection of important ecological data based on the timing of leafing, flowering, and fruiting of plants (plant phenophases). Participants make careful observations of these plant phenophases. The data are being collected in a consistent manner across the country so that scientists can use the data to learn more about the responsiveness of individual plant species to changes in climate locally, regionally, and nationally.
Apply for Department of Energy’s Wind For Schools Program
From the U.S. Department of Energy
http://apps2.eere.energy.gov/wind/windexchange/schools_wfs_project.asp
Details about how to apply for this grant program are available here.
Become a Dept. of Energy - Energy Saver
From the U.S. Department of Energy
http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver
This site includes energy saving content as well as how-to articles and videos, calculators, and a blog. Beyond providing information about low-cost ways to lower household energy bills, the site also provides information about local tax credits, rebates and energy efficiency financing that may be available in different communities.
Find Out How to Enter in Energy Efficiency Competitions
Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Guide to Energy Efficiency Competitions for Buildings and Plants
http://www.energystar.gov/buildings/tools-and-resources/energy-efficiency-competition-guide
Learn the benefits of hosting a competition and strategies to help you launch a successful competition in your school or school district.
Join Discovery Education’s TurfMutt Program
From Discovery Education
http://www.scholastic.com/turfmutt/parents/
Superhero TurfMutt & the Outdoor Powers teach kids and families backyard science, including how to take better care of the green spaces around them. With the activities in this hands-on science program, you can help them save the planet one yard at a time.
MORE OPPORTUNITIES
Eco-Schools USA
From the National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools-USA.aspx
Eco-Schools USA is a holistic program. It strives to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of the life and culture of a school, including students, teachers, administrative staff, non-teaching staff and parents, as well as the local community. Eco-Schools USA works to extend learning beyond the classroom and develop responsible environmental attitudes and commitments, both at home and in the wider community. Whether you are a teacher, student, administrator or facilities manager, the Eco-Schools USA program can benefit your school and local communities.
Green Cup Challenge™
https://www.greenschoolsalliance.org/program/challenges
The Green Cup Challenge invites all schools to measure and reduce campus electricity use and GHG emissions, and supports campus greening efforts including recycling and water conservation.
GreenSchools!
From Project Learning Tree
http://www.plt.org/greenschools
Project Learning Tree® (
Journey North: A Global Study of Wildlife Migration and Seasonal Change
https://journeynorth.org/
Seasonal change is all around us. Children see it in the length of a day, in the appearance of a flower, in the flight of a butterfly. Journey North is a free internet-based program that explores the interrelated aspects of seasonal change.
Youth Awards for Energy Achievement
From NEED (National Energy Education Development)
http://www.need.org/Youth-Awards
This award recognizes outstanding achievement and rewards student leadership for excellence in energy education in student’s schools and communities. This is a K-12 program with scrapbooks detailing projects and applications due to state coordinators in April each school year.
District and School-Wide Programs
Grades of Green, Inc.
From Grades of Green, Inc.
https://gradesofgreen.org/
Grades of Green provides students with the support and resources they need to discover their passion and turn it into environmental action. We differentiate our approach by offering personalized mentorship and handson environmental leadership training through project‐based learning, including required civic engagement projects that actively work on environmental issues to create impact, today.
TerraCycle
http://www.terracycle.net/en-US/
TerraCycle's purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste, which is done by creating national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste. Anyone can sign up for these programs, called the Brigades, and start sending their waste to TerraCycle.
Wind For Schools Program
From the U.S. Department of Energy
http://apps2.eere.energy.gov/wind/windexchange/schools_wfs_project.asp
Details about how to apply for this grant program are available here.
