WASHINGTON DC -- October 15, 2007 -- A schoolyard safari for kinder gardeners and third-graders sponsored by Project Learning Tree (PLT) is one of many activities highlighting D.C. School Garden Week, October 15-20. Advocates say this special week highlights how getting outside helps students learn and could build support for national efforts to get every child outside.
D.C. School Garden Week provides an excellent opportunity for media to see the impact outdoor learning programs like Project Learning Tree can have on students. The kick-off event at LaSalle Elementary School, 501 Riggs Road, NE, on Monday, October 15 at 11:00am will feature Mayor Adrian Fenty and other dignitaries planting a wetland marsh alongside students.
PLT activities, such as “Schoolyard Safari” and “A Closer Look,” will be demonstrated with kinder gardeners and third-graders on Tuesday, October 16 from 9:35am to 11:00am at Burroughs Elementary School, 1820 Monroe Street NE. The media are invited to attend and see learning in action.
On Tuesday evening, DC School Garden Week partners will coordinate a panel discussion to inspire educators and parent advocates to create more school gardens. The event will be held at 7:00pm at Burroughs Elementary School.
D.C. School Garden Week takes place as congressional committees work on the reauthorization of the “No Child Left Behind” bill. Project Learning Tree and its allies in the “No Child Left Inside”SM Coalition are working to increase support for environmental education as part of the reauthorization of that bill.
The coalition is supporting legislation (H.R. 3036 and S. 1981) that would provide federal funding for states to train teachers in environmental education and outdoor learning, to fund grants for environmental education, and to help states create environmental literacy plans that ensure high school students leave the classroom prepared to live in a world confronting growing environmental challenges.
Evidence increasingly shows that environmental education programs engage students interactively, improve their scores on standardized tests, and build community support for schools. For more information on the No Child Left Inside Act, visit www.eenclb.org .
“Through Project Learning Tree, we help students learn math, science, language arts, and critical thinking skills in an integrated environment, rather than as discrete subjects,” said Kathy McGlauflin, Director of Project Learning and Senior Vice President of Education for the American Forest Foundation. “That’s how life works, and environmental education is an excellent way for students to learn and practice how knowledge comes together in the real world.”
D.C. School Garden Week is organized by the D.C. Environmental Educational Consortium (www.dcnaturally.org ), in partnership with the District Department of the Environment. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty proclaimed October 15-20, 2007 as DC Schoolyard Greening Week.
For more information about Project Learning Tree and the value of outdoor learning, go to www.plt.org and www.learnoutside.org .
D.C. School Garden Week provides an excellent opportunity for media to see the impact outdoor learning programs like Project Learning Tree can have on students. The kick-off event at LaSalle Elementary School, 501 Riggs Road, NE, on Monday, October 15 at 11:00am will feature Mayor Adrian Fenty and other dignitaries planting a wetland marsh alongside students.
PLT activities, such as “Schoolyard Safari” and “A Closer Look,” will be demonstrated with kinder gardeners and third-graders on Tuesday, October 16 from 9:35am to 11:00am at Burroughs Elementary School, 1820 Monroe Street NE. The media are invited to attend and see learning in action.
On Tuesday evening, DC School Garden Week partners will coordinate a panel discussion to inspire educators and parent advocates to create more school gardens. The event will be held at 7:00pm at Burroughs Elementary School.
D.C. School Garden Week takes place as congressional committees work on the reauthorization of the “No Child Left Behind” bill. Project Learning Tree and its allies in the “No Child Left Inside”SM Coalition are working to increase support for environmental education as part of the reauthorization of that bill.
The coalition is supporting legislation (H.R. 3036 and S. 1981) that would provide federal funding for states to train teachers in environmental education and outdoor learning, to fund grants for environmental education, and to help states create environmental literacy plans that ensure high school students leave the classroom prepared to live in a world confronting growing environmental challenges.
Evidence increasingly shows that environmental education programs engage students interactively, improve their scores on standardized tests, and build community support for schools. For more information on the No Child Left Inside Act, visit www.eenclb.org .
“Through Project Learning Tree, we help students learn math, science, language arts, and critical thinking skills in an integrated environment, rather than as discrete subjects,” said Kathy McGlauflin, Director of Project Learning and Senior Vice President of Education for the American Forest Foundation. “That’s how life works, and environmental education is an excellent way for students to learn and practice how knowledge comes together in the real world.”
D.C. School Garden Week is organized by the D.C. Environmental Educational Consortium (www.dcnaturally.org ), in partnership with the District Department of the Environment. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty proclaimed October 15-20, 2007 as DC Schoolyard Greening Week.
For more information about Project Learning Tree and the value of outdoor learning, go to www.plt.org and www.learnoutside.org .
Media contacts
- Catherine Estes, 202.463.2728, cell 202.368.1169, cestes@plt.org
- Ami Neiberger-Miller, office 703.404.4312, cell 703.887.4877, ami@steppingstonellc.com
About Project Learning Tree®
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is the environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation. PLT provides educators with comprehensive environmental education curriculum resources that can be integrated into lesson plans for all grades and subject areas. PLT teaches students “how to think, not what to think” about complex environmental issues, and helps students learn the skills they need to make sound choices about the environment. Developed in 1976, PLT has an international network of more than 500,000 trained educators using PLT materials that cover the total environment. The American Forest Foundation, a nonprofit organization, works for healthy forests, quality environmental education, and informed decision-making about our communities and our world.
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