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Sustainability 101 Course and Certification Now Available

The Green Education Foundation (GEF) Institute recently announced a collaboration with NOCTI related to their Sustainability 101 Certification program. Through a partnership with NOCTI, schools will have the option to order the program directly through NOCTI. The program consists of both pre- and post-tests as well as a 15-hour self-paced course. The tests will be delivered through QuadNet™, NOCTI’s secure online delivery system and students meeting the benchmark will be issued a GEF Institute Sustainability Certification.

This collaboration is timely considering that green careers are gaining global momentum and support across the country. The Sustainability 101 Certification will give students an extra edge in both the job market and higher education. The 15-hour course is designed to arm students with a strong foundational knowledge of sustainability and the balance between environmental, social, and economic systems.

NOCTI President/CEO, Dr. John Foster sees great potential for this collaboration, “We believe the partnership with GEF Institute, and their focus on sustainability will truly help students form habits that will benefit not only themselves and their communities, but also the planet we all share.” “We are thrilled to partner with NOCTI to offer our Sustainability 101 Certification program to high school and college students with the goal of educating them on the foundational concepts of sustainability,” said Victoria Waters, president of GEF Institute. “Given NOCTI’s standing as a global leader in delivering high-quality competency assessments, we could not be more pleased to have them as our partner in arming the next generation with the critical insight and knowledge necessary to help in changing the course of our collective future.”

For further information about the Sustainability 101 program including cost, an overview of course content, and steps for ordering the program, please visit www.nocti.org/CertificateProgram-GEFI.cfm.

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About GEF Institute

GEF Institute is a division of the Green Education Foundation (GEF).   The Institute was established to meet the increasing market demand for professional level sustainability focused education and training.  The Institute builds on GEF’s expertise in K-12 sustainability education and STEM concepts by offering affordable online courses and certificate programs in sustainability to educators, students at the high school and undergraduate level, and professionals.  To learn more, visit   www.gefinstitute.org.

About NOCTI

Founded in 1966, NOCTI provides curricular and instructional improvement tools for secondary and post‐secondary institutions. In addition to over 85 standardized assessments, NOCTI also works with customers to create customized solutions. Services include job and task analysis, assessment construction, assessment delivery, score reporting, score interpretation and professional development workshops. For more information, visit www.nocti.org.

New Relationship Aimed at Incorporating Sustainable Design Elements and Lessons into GEF Green Building Curriculum

July 29, 2013— Green Education Foundation (GEF) and Autodesk have collaborated to integrate sustainable design as an integral component of GEF’s Green Building Program, a free K-12 curriculum where students learn first-hand about green building attributes and benefits. Autodesk will assist GEF in the development of lessons, tools and resources focused on sustainable design and architecture to ensure students understand the significance and importance of green design for both existing and new construction projects.

Autodesk provides design professionals, engineers, architects, digital artists, students and hobbyists software to unlock their creativity and solve important challenges. The company launched its Sustainability Workshop website in an effort to educate college students on green architecture and sustainable design. Through this relationship, Autodesk will educate K-12 students on this field’s potential by providing free software and related lessons to encourage environmentally-friendly design at school and home. Downloads of this tool will be available on GEF’s Green Building Program website this fall.

“We’re delighted to work closely with Autodesk in educating students on the resounding benefits associated with green design and construction by introducing classrooms to state-of-the-art software tools for use with our green building curriculum,” noted Victoria Waters, GEF president and CEO. “With green jobs outpacing all others combined, now is the time to prepare students for these exciting opportunities by engaging them in real-life hands-on learning.”

GEF’s Green Building Program offers a semester and yearlong blended Green Building Course that can be integrated into an existing class or offered as an elective for upper middle and high school students. The curriculum explores the relationship between a school’s building, human ecology, sustainability and the environment. Students will learn about a variety of sustainability topics, including an introduction to sustainability, sustainable sites and landscapes, water and energy use and indoor environmental quality as they relate to building construction, operation and maintenance. The capstone project features a comprehensive audit and report with student recommendations for building improvements based upon the results of their school-wide audit.

“The goals of GEF align well with our education efforts to advance design skills and sustainability literacy at 8-12 schools across the globe," said Adam Menter, sustainability education program manager, Autodesk. "Providing schools with the tools to educate their students on how we can ‘design better’ to protect our natural resources without sacrificing performance is a win for everyone. Autodesk is proud to be part of this forward-thinking initiative."

Goals of the Green Building Program include educating students on:

• the importance of integrating sustainability into the design of structures and buildings
• how to reduce energy and water usage in buildings
• ways to improve indoor and outdoor environmental quality
• how to upgrade the school building to accommodate for a healthier, more productive learning environment for occupants

GEF Green Building Course materials in each unit include student readings, scripted lessons, pacing guides, a teacher manual, presentation slides & transparencies, hand-outs, audit overview and capstone project. Visit http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/green-building-program-sub.html to learn more.

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About Green Education Foundation (GEF)

Green Education Foundation (GEF) is a non-profit organization committed to creating a sustainable future through education. Sustainability education provides educators with the real-world applied learning models that connect science, technology, and math education with the broader human concerns of environmental, economic, and social systems. GEF provides curriculum and resources to K-12 students and teachers worldwide with the goal of challenging them to think holistically and critically about global environmental concerns and solutions.

Become a member for free to gain full access to GEF’s comprehensive library of standards-based lessons and activities at www.greeneducationfoundation.org. Join the sustainability education conversation by following GEF on Twitter @greenedufdn and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greenedufoundation. Visit www.gefinstitute.org to access online courses and certificate programs in sustainability for academic and professional credit.

Green Education Foundation (GEF) Receives Grant to Fund Green Building and Energy Curriculum to Colorado Schools

September 2013 – Xcel Energy recently announced the recipients of its grant funding for non-profit organizations in Colorado for work in education and the environment. Green Education Foundation (GEF) is proud to be among those selected for their reach and impact in making quality sustainability education available to youth and educators.

“We’re delighted to continue and expand our work in Colorado through the valued support of Xcel Energy in educating students on energy conservation strategies along with the resounding benefits associated with green construction,” noted Victoria Waters, GEF president. “With green jobs outpacing all others combined, now is the time to introduce students to these exciting opportunities by engaging them in real-life hands-on learning.”

Xcel Energy’s is part of the company’s corporate giving Environment focus area which supports nonprofit organizations like Green Education Foundation that provide K-12 students with hands-on environmental education experiences and curriculum that foster an ethic of stewardship and conservation and that support academic content standards.

The success of our company is directly related to the health of our communities,” said Monique Lovato, Xcel Energy’s Director of Corporate Giving. “Through our Foundation grants we can positively impact the quality of life in the towns and cities we serve.”

Through this grant, GEF is able to offer its robust blended learning curriculum, which introduces students to leading edge green building topics, at no cost to select schools in Colorado. A high school teacher who utilized the curriculum, Alisha Lugo, commented on her experiences with GEF’s blended learning platform and the subject matter: “My students really enjoyed the interactivity and hands-on lessons. They also appreciated the online platform and the fact that the subject matter has real-world applications and a career connection. As a teacher, I appreciated the ready-to-use materials and the fact that it provided a fresh approach to teaching science concepts.” The curriculum was integrated into what was already being taught in the high schools Energy and Natural Resources science class, part of the school’s career and technology department.

GEF’s green building curriculum is designed as a blended learning experience in which teachers can access and download all necessary materials, including presentation slides, digital textbook, manual and pacing guide, through the Institute’s online learning management system. Using the online portal, teachers can assign homework, track progress and submit grades. Students can also login to the online system to access their own materials such as online quizzes, videos, readings, discussion forums and glossaries.

There are currently six, 30-hour units available including Introduction to Green Building, Energy and the Built Environment, Water and the Built Environment, Indoor Environmental Quality, Materials and Resources, Sustainable Sites and Land Use, Building Science, and the Present and Future of Green Building.

In addition to the Green Building course the grant supports GEF’s Green Energy Challenge which offers sustainability lessons and activities related to energy conservation and the environment. This national program encourages students to make small changes in their behaviors and then to measure their collective impact. In doing so, lifelong habits of conservation are developed and can grow throughout communities organically.

To learn more about the Green Building Program and Green Energy Challenge, visit http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/index.php

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About Green Education Foundation (GEF)

Green Education Foundation (GEF) is a non-profit organization committed to creating a sustainable future through education. Sustainability education provides educators with the real-world applied learning models that connect science, technology, and math education with the broader human concerns of environmental, economic, and social systems. GEF provides curriculum and resources to K-12 students and teachers worldwide with the goal of challenging them to think holistically and critically about global environmental concerns and solutions.

Become a member for free to gain full access to GEF’s comprehensive library of standards-based lessons and activities at www.greeneducationfoundation.org. Join the sustainability education conversation by following GEF on Twitter @greenedufdn and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greenedufoundation. Visit www.gefinstitute.org to access online courses and certificate programs in sustainability for academic and professional credit.

About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company operating in eight Western and Midwestern states. The company is committed to providing cost-effective, clean, responsible energy delivered with the highest standards for safety, reliability and responsiveness. Xcel Energy supports communities in four important focus areas: math and science education; environmental stewardship; job training, placement and creation; and access to arts and culture. In 2012, Xcel Energy invested $8 million in support of communities across its service territory.

Elementary school students create t-shirt designs to show their favorite way to save energy

April 5, 2013–The 2013 Green Energy Challenge, a free GEF program sponsored by National Grid, called on students across New England to submit artwork for the Energy Challenge t-shirt contest. The contest asked students to draw their favorite way to save energy.

Hundreds of drawings were submitted from schools across the region and were narrowed down to just four. Thousands of National Grid employees then voted to determine the winner.

Blair Zhou's drawing will bring him to Fenway on Earth Day.

Blair Zhou, a fifth-grade student at the Ohrenberger School in West Roxbury, MA, received the most votes for his design. The lucky artist’s school will receive a $250 donation, and his entire homeroom class will receive t-shirts featuring his winning design. In addition, Blair will showcase his t-shirt when he throws out the first pitch on April 22 during the National Grid-sponsored Earth Day celebration game at Fenway Park where the Red Sox will face the Athletics.

We take energy efficiency and environmental stewardship very seriously," said Marcy Reed, president, National Grid, Massachusetts. "The Green Energy Challenge t-shirt contest is a terrific way to reinforce to our youth the importance of how each and every one of us can reduce our carbon footprint and take measures that will make our lives a little greener. We congratulate Blair on his design and thank him for helping us promote energy conservation."

The winning design will be worn by National Grid employees on Earth Day 2013 and posted on GEF's website.

Victoria Waters, CEO at GEF, noted the significance of this year’s contest: “This fun and educational contest created a lot of momentum around the importance of conservation measures. When students understand the basics of sustainability they become even more passionate and curious, leading to long lasting, sustainable lifestyle choices.”

Runners-up in 2013 Green Energy Challenge t-shirt contest are Allie Van Rossem, Dylan Pare, Fuka Ikeda, Kaitlen Darcy, Samer Khanji and Troy Nicotra.

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About Green Education Foundation (GEF)

Green Education Foundation (GEF) is a non-profit organization committed to creating a sustainable future through education. Sustainability education provides educators with the real-world applied learning models that connect science, technology, and math education with the broader human concerns of environmental, economic, and social systems. GEF provides curriculum and resources to K-12 students and teachers worldwide with the goal of challenging them to think holistically and critically about global environmental concerns and solutions.

Become a member for free to gain full access to GEF’s comprehensive library of standards-based lessons and activities at www.greeneducationfoundation.org. Join the sustainability education conversation by following GEF on Twitter @greenedufdn and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greenedufoundation.

About National Grid

National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE:NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society - to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the center of the energy system and it ‘joins everything up’.

In the northeast US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles. In Great Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country.

National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. It manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation, providing power to over one million LIPA customers. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com.

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