March 2010 ◊ Published by the CREEC Network

Happy Spring!
Inside
this Issue The hills are green throughout most of California and springtime is just around the bend.
The CREEC Network continues to link educators to “green” resources that promote the
environmental literacy of California students. The CREEC Blog at www.creec.org has
recently posted articles on Environmental Service Learning, California Environmental
Legacy Project, California Redwoods, Nearby Nature in San Diego County, and Growing Up WILD.
Legislative
The Blog articles are written by the CREEC Network Coordinators.
Updates
Page 1-2
CREEC Network is now on Facebook. Visit http://www.facebook.com/creecnetwork
and become a Fan today!
Conferences and
And as always, the CREEC Calendars and Resource Directory provide links to important events and
Events
resources. In addition to receiving CREEC News & Views each month, be sure to subscribe to the
Page 2-3
regional newsletters for local information. Please forward the newsletters to interested educators around
the state. Thank you and enjoy the great outdoors.
EE Resources &
Information
Page 3-5
Legislative Updates

Environmental Literacy included in Obama's new Education Budget: Historic First

Grants, Awards,
& Contests We just logged a major victory for No Child Left Inside, perhaps our most significant. President
Page 5-7 Obama’s budget that was released recently includes environmental literacy in the U.S. Department of
Education budget for the very first time. We now have the Obama administration officially on our side,
and better yet, in their budget. President Obama and Secretary Duncan have made innovation and
student achievement a major platform of the Obama Administration and as a result have included
Teacher environmental literacy in a new program. The proposed budget includes a new $1.0 billion for
Opportunities Effective Teaching and Learning for a Complete Education program designed to improve instruction to
Page 7-8 support college- and career readiness standards, in part through the use of technology to deliver high-
quality content. The new program includes three components: Literacy: $450 million to consolidate
seven existing ESEA programs into a new program that would help states and local education
authorities improve literacy skills by supporting professional development and improved instructional
materials. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): $300 million to expand the
federal investment in improved teaching and learning of STEM disciplines, especially in high-need
schools and school systems, and prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers. A Well-
Rounded Education: $265 million to consolidate seven current authorities and expand support for the
subjects important to a complete curriculum, including: history, the arts, foreign languages,
environmental literacy, and economic and financial literacy.

What does it mean? In the short term, it means that we can expect President Obama’s education bill
(Elementary and Secondary Education Act, formerly known as No Child Left Behind) to include
language from the No Child Left Inside Act, which will help force the hand of Congress, where we
already have 87 House cosponsors and 17 Senate cosponsors. We still have a great deal of work to do,
and we will continue to count on you to take action and stay involved.
NEEA Support Needed

Please contact your legislators in Congress by March 16th to ask them to sign on to a letter from
Congressional members to the Appropriations Committee leadership requesting $14 million in funding
for the Office of Environmental Education at U.S. EPA. The funding supports the National
Environmental Education Act (NEEA) which provides regional and national grants for environmental
education programs, teacher professional development, capacity building for environmental education,
the National Environmental Education Foundation, and environmental education research. For
additional information about NEEA, visit http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/index.html.

Conferences and Events

National Wildlife Week
March 15-21, 2010

Studies show that children who spend time outside are more creative, have less stress, and perform
better in school. Help your students appreciate wildlife and unlock their learning and imaginative
potential during National Wildlife Week. To download the Educator Activity Guide, visit
http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There/Events/National-Wildlife-Week/At-School.aspx.

National Service Learning Conference

March 24-27, 2010, San Jose

Inspire. Imagine. Innovate! This event celebrates service-learning as a force that spans cultural and
national boundaries, builds communities, and strengthens young people. The conference is the largest
gathering of youth and practitioners involved in service-learning. Through three days of general
sessions, thought leader series, service-learning projects, and networking, the conference engages
participants in local, national, and global issues that service-learning addresses. Come explore more
than 100 exhibits, and nearly 150 hands-on workshops and service-learning projects. For more
information, visit http://nslc.nylc.org/.

EE Week: Be Water and Energy Wise!

April 11-17, 2010

National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), the nation's largest

environmental education event, inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12
students. EE Week connects educators with environmental resources to promote K-12 students’
understanding of the environment. EE Week is a program of the National Environmental Education
Foundation. In the U.S., generating power consumes three percent of our nation's water annually, and
13 percent of the energy produced in this country each year is used to treat, transport, and heat our
water. Conserving water saves energy, and vice versa. The water-energy connection is complex, but it
provides an excellent opportunity to get students thinking about the interrelatedness of ecological and
environmental concerns. EE Week provides lesson plans and classroom resources on the water-energy
connection to help students and educators explore this important topic. Visit http://eeweek.org/ for
more information.

Statewide AEOE Conference

April 30—May 2, 2010, Camp Hess Kramer, Malibu

This years’ conference theme is Building Foundations. The keynote speaker is Ed

Begley, Jr. For more information or to register, visit http://www.aeoe.org. Early registration deadline
is April 1st. Scholarships are available.
Endangered Species Day
May 21, 2010

Endangered Species Day is a celebration of our nation's wildlife and wild places and is an opportunity
for young and old to learn about the everyday actions that people can take to help protect our nation's
disappearing wildlife and last remaining wild places. Visit http://www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org for
a step-by-step guide on how to sponsor your own event to celebrate Endangered Species Day 2010.

EE Resources and Information

Best Practices in Environmental Education Programs: A Self-Reflection Tool for
Environmental Education Providers

In order to enhance the quality of environmental education (EE) programs, the California Environ-
mental Education Foundation (CEEF) has developed a user-friendly Self-Reflection Tool intended to
enhance the use of best practices by formal and non-formal EE providers. The five programmatic
Core Practices and the associated outputs necessary to achieve the practices, are primarily derived
from the NAAEE Nonformal EE Programs: Guidelines for Excellence (2004). While many EE
providers strive to achieve 100% efficiency on each of the outputs, the main intention of offering this
easily applied rubric is to encourage a voluntary self-reflection to determine where a program is along
a continuum of programmatic development and efficacy, and thereby identify program practices that
could be improved. Please take the survey today at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=NkMH1ZofhS8_2bFbcU6giqpg_3d_3d.

EETAP Launches New Web Site

The EETAP Web site has a new look and the home page now highlights content from
across the site, including EETAP activities and achievements, a section on cultural
diversity, EETAP bulletins, articles, studies, an environmental literacy section, and more.
Check it out at www.eetap.org

Aligning EE Resources to National and State Standards

Preparing students for standardized tests is now the central focus of most teachers in
American schools. Fighting the stereotype that environmental education materials are little
more than a diversion from today's rigorous, standards-based curriculum, environmental
education providers are ensuring that their materials conform to and support the educational standards
the tests evaluate. This strategy has become so central to EE programs that the Environmental
Education and Training Partnership (EETAP) has made correlating EE materials to state education
standards a priority. Recent evaluation of their efforts reveals that the correlations are helping get more
EE materials used in classrooms. And new approaches like one being used in California are
integrating environmental education into the standards-based curriculum in more fundamental ways
than ever before. To read the article, visit http://eetap.org/.

PBS Survey

This 2009 PBS survey shows that 76% of K-12 educators use digital technology in classroom lessons,
compared to 69% in 2008. The survey also showed that 72% of teachers use the Internet to integrate
short segments of electronic content into their lessons. How does or should environmental education
fit into these changes in educational technology? To read the report, visit
http://grunwald.com/pdfs/Grunwald_January_2010_ANNUAL_PBS_SURVEY_PUBLIC_REPORT.pdf.
Air: The Search for One Clean Breath

Since its premiere in 2008, the District film, Air - The Search for One Clean Breath has been
screened worldwide for hundreds of thousands of viewers. Now you can download here the
new Educator’s Guide for middle and high school instructors. It is an innovative way to increase the
film’s reach and educate students about this precious natural resource. The Educator’s Guide, and
accompanying nine classroom lessons, will enable students to not only see the film, but understand more
about air quality by expanding upon the material presented in the film. The project was directed by the
Ventura County Air Pollution Control District’s public information division. It was coordinated by the
CREEC Network and written and field-tested by California teachers. To download the guide, visit
http://www.vcapcd.org/AirTheFilm/teacher.htm.

NASA Global Climate Change Education

The goals of the Global Climate Change Education project are to use NASA’s unique contributions to
climate and Earth system science to improve the teaching and learning about global climate change in
elementary and secondary schools, on college campuses, and through lifelong learning; increase the
number of people, particularly high school and undergraduate students, using NASA Earth
observation data and NASA Earth system models to investigate and analyze global climate change
issues; and to increase the number of undergraduate students prepared for employment and/or to enter
graduate school in technical fields relevant to global climate change. For more information, visit
http://gcce.larc.nasa.gov/.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools Program

The IAQ Tools for Schools Program is a comprehensive resource to help schools
maintain a healthy environment in school buildings by identifying, correcting, and
preventing IAQ problems. Poor indoor air quality can impact the comfort and health of students and
staff, which, in turn, can affect concentration, attendance, and student performance. In addition, if
schools fail to respond promptly to poor IAQ, students and staff are at an increased risk of short-term
health problems, such as fatigue and nausea, as well as long-term problems like asthma. The Action
Kit shows schools how to carry out a practical plan to improve indoor air problems at little or no cost
using straightforward activities and in-house staff. The Kit provides best practices, industry guidelines,
sample policies, and a sample IAQ management plan. For more information about the kit, visit
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/actionkit.html.

State of the World 2010. Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability

In State of the World 2010, the Worldwatch Institute’s award-winning research team
reveals how human societies can shift from an unsustainable consumer culture to one that
respects environmental realities, and demonstrates how people around the world have
already started to nurture a new culture of sustainability. To obtain the book, visit
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1067.
http

Cool California

California schools offering environmental education provide stimulating learning

environments to foster students’ creativity to reduce the impacts of climate change. Join
many school district officials, teachers, and students to stop global warming and save
money by taking cost-saving actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Check out the
resources in this toolkit to learn more about how to make a difference! Visit
http://www.coolcalifornia.org/schools.
La Tierra y el Mar by the Banana Slugs

This lively set of tunes are bilingual, in Spanish/English. The CD is used by the Monterey
Bay Aquarium to introduce bilingual preschoolers to Ocean Ecology. Spanish, science,
and fun - all rolled into one! Presented by bilingual Slug, Michael Levy, La Tierra y el Mar features
eight popular Slug songs in both Spanish and English. You'll have a lot of fun recognizing lyrics to
popular favorites such as "Soy un Arbol," "Pececitos," and "El Descomponer." What a great way to
practice a second language! Visit http://bananaslugs.bandcamp.com/album/la-tierra-y-el-mar.

Earth Day Songs

Are you looking for songs to celebrate the earth and the environment. There are links to many songs
at this website offered by Songs for Teaching. Visit http://www.songsforteaching.com/earthdaysongs/.

Grants, Awards, and Contests

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
Deadline: March 15, 2010

The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge is a K-12 sustainability challenge where a class or
group of students, work with a teacher/mentor to identify an environmental issue in their classroom or
school community, develop a plan, collect data, analyze that data, and share the results they've found.
The maximum award is $5,000. Ages served: elementary and middle schools. Learn more at: http://
wecanchange.com/

NABT/Vernier Ecology/Environmental Teaching Award

Deadline: March 15, 2010

Sponsored by Vernier Software & Technology, the Ecology/Environmental Teaching Award will be
given to a secondary school teacher who has successfully developed and demonstrated an innovative
approach in the teaching of ecology/environmental science and has carried his/her commitment to the
environment into the community. Vernier's sponsorship of this award includes $1,000 toward travel to
the Professional Development Conference and $500 of Vernier equipment. The recipient also receives
a recognition plaque to be presented at the NABT Professional Development Conference, and a one-
year complimentary NABT membership. To nominate a teacher, visit http://www.nabt.org/websites/
institution/index.php?p=20.

Bright Ideas Grants: PG&E Solar Schools Program

Deadline: March 20, 2010

Spring 2010 grant applications are now being accepted that promote environmental
stewardship in the following categories: Educational Solar Projects; Youth Energy and
Environmental Programs; Renewable energy or Science Related Field Trips; Green Your
School Projects; and Professional Development/Service Learning Projects/Workforce
Development Programs. For more information, visit www.need.org/pgesolarschools.

Captain Planet Foundation Grant

Deadline: March 31, 2010

The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to fund and support hands-on,
environmental projects for children and youths. Their objective is to encourage innovative programs
that empower children and youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve
environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. Through environmental education,
they believe that children can achieve a better understanding and appreciation for the world in which
they live. For more information or to apply for a grant, visit http://captainplanetfoundation.org/.
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
Nomination Deadline: April 30, 2010

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes seeks nominations for its 2010 awards. The
Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to
people and our planet. Half of each year’s 10 winners are chosen for their work to protect the
environment. Winners each receive $2,500 to support their service work or higher education. To
nominate a student, visit http://www.barronprize.org/.

Brower Youth Awards

Deadline: May 15, 2010

Brower Youth Awards seeks outstanding youth leaders, ages 13-22, with the power and
bold vision to create environmental change. The Brower Youth Awards recognizes six young people in
North America annually for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental
and environmental justice advocacy. Each year, the Brower Youth Awards honors six young people
with a $3000 cash award and week-long trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information,
visit http://www.broweryouthawards.org/article.php?list=type&type=54.

Ocean Guardian Grant

Deadline: June 1, 2010

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is offering Ocean Guardian grants of $2,000- $6,000
to a number of California schools whose students create a school or community-based conservation
project that protects their local watershed and the ocean. K-12 schools in the following counties are
eligible: Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey, San Benito,
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. This website also offer lesson plans and videos on ocean
education. For more information, visit http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/ocean_guardian/.

Nominate a Garden Crusader

Deadline: June 1, 2010

This year, Gardener’s Supply will award more than $15,000 in cash and gardening gear to individuals
across the country who are using gardening to make a difference in their communities. For more
information, visit http://www.gardeners.com.

NEA Foundation Green Grants

Deadline: June 1, 2010

With $150,000 in new grant funding designated for projects that integrate green-related
topics and experiences into the classroom, the NEA Foundation is growing its Learning & Leadership
and Student Achievement grants program for individuals and teams of educators. Public school
educators are eligible to apply for individual grants worth up to $5,000 for the development and
implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches for teaching “green” concepts. For information,
visit http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/nea-foundation-green-grants.

Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest

Deadline: June 16, 2010

Enter the Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder contest. Show how the beauty of nature
inspires you through poetry, essays, photos or dance. Entries must be from a team of two
or more persons, a young person and an older person. For more information, visit
http://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/thesenseofwonder/index.htm.
UC Davis Young Scholars Program

The UC Davis Young Scholars Program is a summer residential research program designed to expose
40 high achieving high school students to the world of original research in the natural sciences with
emphases on the biological, environmental and agricultural sciences. To be eligible for the summer of
2010, students must be currently enrolled as sophomores or juniors in high school. Participants in the
2010 UCD-YSP will work one-on-one with research faculty and research groups in state of the art
laboratories for six weeks. Interested students should visit http://ysp.ucdavis.edu/.

Do Something Seed Grants

Deadline: Rolling

Are you working to start a community action project or program? Do you need money
to put your ideas into action? If you answered, "YES!", you are eligible to apply for a Do Something
Seed Grant. $500 Do Something Seed Grants are awarded every week to help young people. Do
Something Seed Grants are targeted towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started.
These grants can be used to jump-start your program or to realize your ideas for the first time. These are
grants for all types of community action projects around causes that you care about and are important in
your community. Learn more at: http://www.dosomething.org/grants/seedgrants.

Do Something Growth Grants

Deadline: Rolling

Did you create a sustainable community action project, program or organization that you want to grow?
Are you looking for funding to take your already successful project to the next level? If you answered
"YES!", you are eligible to apply for a Do Something Growth Grant. We give out a $500 Do Something
Growth Grant every week to help young people. .Do Something Growth Grants are targeted towards
projects that are already developed and sustainable. These grants go towards the next steps of your
project and organization to help you as you look to expand your project and grow your impact.
Learn more at: http://www.dosomething.org/grants/growthgrants.

Teacher Opportunities
Inspiring Climate Education Excellence
Deadline: March 15, 2010

Funded by NASA's Global Climate Change Education project, the Inspiring Climate Education
Excellence (ICEE) Teacher Professional Development for Effective Instruction in Climate Science
Literacy Project, is a teacher professional development project that addresses important climate science
content along with the pedagogical skills necessary for effective instruction. ICEE will showcase NASA
data and platforms, especially those associated with Arctic climate systems and global sea level change.
Middle and high school science teachers are encouraged to apply for the workshop to be held June
10-16, 2010 in Boulder, Colorado. This workshop is presented by the Education and Outreach group of
the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado
at Boulder. To submit an application, visit http://cires.colorado.edu/education/k12/ICEE/index.html.
Resources
Family Nature Summits
July 5-11, Lake Tahoe

Family Nature Summits (a national EE and outdoor program for families, founded by the
National Wildlife Federation) will sponsor one teacher from California or Nevada to
participate in the Family Nature Summit in Lake Tahoe on July 5-11, 2010. For more
information or to apply, visit http://www.familysummits.org.

http
 Oceans, Literacy and Science Residential Teacher Institute
August 1-6, 2010, Monterey

The Aquarium's Oceans, Literacy and Science Residential Teacher Institute is specifically
designed for non-local teachers of kindergarten through 5th grade students from around
the country. The program provides curriculum that integrates science with language arts
and literacy, as well as math, social studies and the arts; inquiry investigations with hands-
on, standards-based activities; explorations of ocean habitats at coastal sites and the Monterey Bay
Aquarium; integration of content and process skills, including ELL and science notebook strategies;
continuing online collaboration with colleagues and Aquarium educators; study of conservation issues
and grade-level appropriate actions; free busing from Stevenson School to field sites and the Aquarium.
K-5 fulltime classroom teachers with a minimum of two years of experience are eligible and who live
more than 150 miles from Monterey. To apply online, visit
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/lc/teachers_place/edu_program_literacy.aspx.

Earth Science Teachers

California Earth Science Teachers Association (CalESTA) promotes earth science

education, disseminates information to teachers, provides field trips and professional
development, and forms partnerships with companies that recruit geoscience graduates.
Teachers interested in joining CalESTA should visit http://cestanet.org/.

Springtime Quotes
s, Awards & Contests
Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of

colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the
night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you
don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!
~Mark Twain
News & Views is a
monthly publication of In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. ~Margaret Atwood
the California Regional
Environmental Education
Community Network. Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men. ~Chinese Proverb
Celeste Royer,
Director I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the
Janet Ables, spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's
Administrative
Assistant rebirth? ~Edward Giobbi

Please direct all

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe
inquiries to your soul has never been in bloom. ~Audra Foveo
croyer@slocoe.org
or 805-782-7224.
If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later
Visit us @ www.creec.org in the fall. ~Nadine Stair

Resources