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Bonnie Plants and GEF promote benefits of indoor plants in schools with free contest
May 17, 2012 – As part of the free Green Thumb Challenge program, GEF and Bonnie Plants, one of the program’s sponsors and a national supplier of premium-quality plants, call on students and teachers to learn about the benefits of indoor plants. By bringing plants into the classroom, students are able to connect science lessons with real-world situations and current environmental issues, such as indoor air quality. GEF provides free lessons, such as The Benefits of Indoor Plants, from their K-12 Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse to supplement the contest. The annual Adopt-a-Plant competition challenges students to be creative in naming their classroom’s adopted plant to win prizes and national recognition.
This year, GEF received applications from across the nation and narrowed it down to one winner and two runners-up. To apply, classrooms submitted a picture of the students with the plant, as well as an official GEF Certificate of Adoption complete with plant name and student signatures. Winners receive I Drink Green water bottles for their classroom to promote water conservation at school and on hot days in the garden. The winner was a sixth grade class from Southgate Elementary in New York. Their adopted plant was named Photo-Synthia, highlighting how indoor air can be cleaned through plants’ natural photosynthesis process, as well as connecting to topics covered in core science standards. The runners up were Fergie the Fresh Air Fern, submitted by a first grade class at Southgate Elementary, and a group submission from the Digital Imaging Club at Sunrise Park Elementary School named Radicchio, Pilea, Philodendron, Fittonia, and Hypoestes.
“It’s so motivating to see today’s youth appreciate the power of plants, especially when it becomes such an integral part of their education,” shared Stan Cope, President of Bonnie Plants. “We’re proud to support the Adopt-a-Plant contest as a model example of kids connecting with nature in a way that is fun, creative, and educational.” Victoria Waters, CEO of GEF, also commented on the success of this year’s contest: “We are so pleased with the results of the 2012 Adopt-a-Plant contest. The great work around gardening being accomplished at schools nationwide is impressive and inspiring.”
To find free lessons about the benefits of plants or gardening in GEF’s Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse, please visit http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/institute/lesson-clearinghouse.
To learn more about the Green Thumb Challenge or the Adopt-a-Plant contest, please visit http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/greenthumbchallengesub.
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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.