A look at the leaders of tomorrow, today, and what they are learning right now to solve the environmental issues in the future.
How Can I Help? Season 1, Episode 2: Learning Green (Environmental Education)
A relaxing day in a bustling urban metropolitan, start the journey with a K-8 program called Cool the Earth which is cool, but has sizzling hot reviews from the amazing performance by everyone in Mrs. De Luna’s 5th grade class at Hage Elementary school. It’s truly Shakespeare’s envy.
Then take a trip up the 15 to High Tech High North County where students use Project Based Learning to critically analyze and solve some of the biggest environmental issues of our time.
Now sit back and relax as President Bill Clinton takes the mic for a well-deserved praise to UCSD and Chancellor Fox. He came all the way here to say that at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative University Conference held at UCSD for its exemplary green and sustainable practices.
Then stroll around campus for UCSD Green Open House. It’s a celebration and your invited as we check out a car show, entertainment, landscape exhibits, cooking demos, and much more.
After taking a look at all the wonderful programs head back downtown, but take a much needed study break to see Seeds at the City, a program at San Diego City College that is one of the only places in Southern California for you to get a Sustainable Agriculture Certification.
So don’t ditch or you’ll put yourself in detention for missing “Learning Green” on ITV — channel 16 Friday June 10th at 6pm.
Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU)
In the next 10 years what are the 3 biggest environmental issues we must face and how can students be involved in addressing those issues? See 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton’s response…
April 1st-3rd at the University of California, San Diego was the setting for the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative University. We had the honor of attending this event as both press and a student group allowing us the rare opportunity to get a complete view of the events.
Opening Plenary: What’s the Big Idea?: Powering Innovation on Campus and Beyond
From soccer balls that generate energy to maps that use crowdsourced crisis data, countless out-of-the-box student ideas are addressing global challenges in ways that never seemed imaginable. What may begin as a brainstorm in a lecture hall can one day become a new world-changing product, policy, or technology. Yet all too often, young changemakers face significant hurdles when trying to translate their big ideas into concrete action. How can students work with universities, NGOs, and the private sector to support innovation on and off campus? How can universities provide the tools and resources that foster a culture of creative problem solving? This panel of serial entrepreneurs will detail their own paths from idea to implementation, and will describe how to harness innovation in a world where good ideas can spread faster than ever before.
Every generation is judged by its progress, Generation Green will be judged on its ability to conserve, preserve, restore and sustain our planet to not only progress forward but reflect on the damage done and correct historic environmental failures.
KidZone
Watersense Game
You play the hero Flo, now go through water pipes to answer water-efficiency questions but avoid water-wasting monsters. Can Watersense survive? You’re the answer. Kidz Only! WaterSense
Re-use is anytime you do something and then you can do it again with all the same stuff. When you take your backpack every day to school your re-using it, to hold your stuff and get to school.
Reduce means using less of something. So, if you take a 20-minute shower, but now only take 10 minutes than it reduces the amount of water you use in the shower.
Recycling takes used materials (waste) and uses it to make new products. It keeps materials that are useful from being wasted. You can recycle any glass your using, the paper you already used at school, plastic bottles, clothes that don’t fit, soda cans, and old electronic stuff you don’t use anymore. It really helps the environment and your parents won’t keep yelling at you to clean your room. Ask your parents there is even a way to get money if you recycle the soda cans and plastic bottles your family uses.
Re-use vs. Recycle
Re-use almost sounds like recycle, but its not because recycle breaks down something to raw materials.
Example: Re-use is taking your backpack to school every day, recycle is when your done using the backpack and someone takes it apart to maybe use the zipper to make a pair of pants. So, when you take something and break it down to make something new it’s recycled, when you take something and use it in the exact same way again it’s re-used.
Teachers
Educate and create Eco-Conscious students, parents, and faculty.
There are many ways that green school initiatives can support your school’s curriculum, with key tie-ins to science, math, social studies, and economics. Establish a strong link between energy and the environment. Protection of the environment is a strong motivator. Help students and adults understand that more than 80% of pollution results from the production, consumption, and disposal of energy — and that actions they take really do make a difference.
Recycle
Create a school recycling program. Recycle everything that cannot be reused; and encourage the purchase of items that can be recycled. A successful and meaningful recycling program must involve the whole campus — there is no teaching tool like the daily, hands-on practice of recycling everything that cannot be reused. By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.
Reduce
Conduct a Classroom Energy Audit.
You don’t have get too technical to teach students about energy use; you can simply take stock of where and how you’re using energy, by assessing where in the classroom energy is going (and being wasted). A simple energy audit can help out.
How many lights are on? Is there heat or A/C? Do the computers get left on at night? Determine where you can cut back, then create a checklist kids can follow every day.
You can help raise awareness by adjusting computer monitor settings, turning the lights off before recess, have a “lights-off” hour once per week, and so on.
Re-Use
Bring it Back w/ Homework. Have students complete a walk-through energy audit of their homes. Make a list of energy problems in the home and suggest solutions, which students can bring home to their families. By modeling and discussing ways to save energy at home and at school, you can spread the energy-efficiency message to families and the community. Include practical and convenient energy saving tips in your school’s monthly newsletter as well.
Parents
Re-use
Teach your kids early about reducing, reusing and recycling by packing zero-waste lunches. No plastic wrap, no aluminum foil, no throw-away juice boxes or pre-wrapped snacks. Use BPA-free hard plastic or glass containers for their snacks and lunch items and stainless steel bottles for their drinks.
Re-duce
An estimated 25% of all trips are made within a mile of the home. Challenge yourself to shop locally — and without your car. In addition to supporting your local businesses, you will reduce your carbon emissions on the road. When your walking with your kids have them try to identify the plants around you.
This eco-trip just turned educational.
Recycle
Something simple to help green your corner of the world: Give away what you might otherwise throw away. Teach kids sharing by making a trip to goodwill or simply working with neighbors on garage sales in the community.
Fun & Easy Eco-Education…
College Connections
How Can We Make Our Water Safe to Drink?
One of our Coolest Resources…
Easily check air, water, land, community, health and much more in your area.
Caring Parents and Schools…
Tools for Schools Action Kit
The Pacific Southwest (Region 9) of the EPA
Learning about the Earth system
Consider the impact that you will have on our future. Let’s explore!
Learn a little, Save a lot.