There are a lot of things you can do if you want to save energy. Reduce water heater temperatures to 121 degrees or less to save money as well. Every little thing you do will help. http://bestsolutiononly.com/conserve-more-power-with-these-green-energy-tips

The MetLife Foundation and the NASSP are seeking high-achieving K-12 schools whose best practices and outstanding results can inform other schools in their school improvement efforts. Selected schools must have 40% or more students eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Winning schools will receive $5,000 and a feature in the Association's monthly magazine. Principals of winning schools will participate in dissemination efforts at the NASSP Annual Convention. For more information:
http://www.nassp.org/AwardsandRecognition/MetLifeFoundationNASSPBreakthroughSchools.aspx

The Thomson Gale TEAMS Award is open to all K-12 public and private school teachers in the United States who have collaborated with media specialists to promote learning and increase student achievement. Three winners will receive $2,500, Gale products, a 1-year subscription to Library Media Connection, and a choice of professional publications from Linworth Books. Winners will also be featured in a Library Media Connection article. For more information:
http://www.galeschools.com/TEAMS/

Sponsored by the NSSEA, the Educational Facility Grant Program funds participation in high-quality professional development experiences that enable superintendents, facility planners, and school purchasing officials to make more effective decisions regarding upcoming school construction or refurbishing projects. Eligible applicants include decision makers at the school or university level who are involved in the design, building, or refurbishing of an educational facility. Winners will receive an all-expenses-paid (airfare, hotel, and conference regsitration) trip to San Antonio to attend the 2013 EdSpaces Conference. For more information:
http://www.nssea.org/sesgrants/

LLCF annually awards grants to rural and urban public and school libraries serving at-risk children. The Foundation will give priority to applications from libraries and agencies with real need and limited book budgets. Funds are earmarked for purchasing books for preK-12 young people, and are not intended for administrative or operational use. Previously-awarded grants have ranged between $500 and $3,000. Successful applicants have proposed purchases to update their children's book collections or to expand their holdings in specific areas. For more information:
http://www.loislenskicovey.org/6.html

Both undergraduate and graduate geoscience teaching assistants are eligible for the NAGT Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards. Winners will receive a 1-year membership to NAGT, which includes an online subscription to the Journal of Geoscience Education and the In the Trenches quarterly magazine. Nominations must be submitted by the department chair or faculty member who coordinates teaching assistants. A nomination letter should include the name of the course or courses in which the student assisted and a description of the activities and qualities that make the teaching assistant outstanding. For more information:
http://www.nagt.org/nagt/programs/ta.html

Each year, NRTA recognizes the participation of state retired educators associations, local retired educators associations, and individual volunteers on projects that serve youth. NRTA will also offer materials and resources to honor volunteers at the state and community levels. The recipients of these awards, or their representatives, will be honored annually at a national meeting or event. NRTA award recipients may also be recognized at events planned by state or local retired educators associations. For more information:
http://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/nrta/info-05-2010/woy-nomform.html

PTO Today, Inc. invites members of the PTO, PTA, HSA, PTC, and other groups to enter their Parent Group of the Year Contest. Entrants may choose from 8 categories, including Outstanding Family Event, Outstanding Community Service Project, and Outstanding New Group. Applicants may use this as an opportunity to showcase their hard work while giving their schools the chance to win money. The grand prize winner of the National Parent Group of the Year will receive $3,000 and 100,000 Labels For Education points. Category winners will each receive $500 and 10,000 Labels For Education points. For more information:
http://www.ptotoday.com/pgy/

The MEAF supports programs in which disabled young people have full access to educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities. The Foundation especially supports nonprofit 501(c) organizations that address important needs, have broad scope and impact, and demonstrate potential for replication at other sites. While requests from all parts of the U.S. will be considered, priority will be given to communities where Mitsubishi Electric U.S. companies are located. For more information:
http://meaf.org/grants.php

IRA's Travel Grants for Educators provide support to educators from any country attending IRA-sponsored meetings held outside of their continent. Applicants must be members of the IRA or one of its affiliated groups. For more information:
http://www.reading.org/Resources/AwardsandGrants/travel_educators.aspx

NWA is sponsoring the Sol Hirsch Education Fund, which offers $750 to K-12 teachers who wish to improve the education of their students in meteorology. Selected teachers may use the funds to take an accredited course in atmospheric sciences, attend a relevant workshop or conference, or purchase scientific materials or equipment for the classroom. For more information:
http://www.nwas.org/grants/solhirsch.php?

The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program invites middle and high school students to examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others. Playwrights may write about their own experiences or the experiences of another person or fictional character. Young playwrights with or without disabilities are encouraged to apply. The selected script will be professionally staged and produced at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The award recipient will receive up to $2,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C. to view the winning script as it is performed onstage. For more information:
http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/vsa/programs/playwright_discovery.cfm

The John H. Lounsbury Award for Distinguished Service is the highest award given by NMSA. This award is given only when an individual has demonstrated a high level of service, integrity, and leadership in middle level education. Viable candidates for this award include those who have made a global impact on middle level education, have a minimum of 10 years of distinguished service, have demonstrated scholarship of the highest level in professional writing and research, and have maintained dedicated service to middle level education beyond the local, state, or regional level. For more information:
http://www.nmsa.org/AboutNMSA/Awards/JohnHLounsburyAward/tabid/382/Default.aspx (Remove after June 1, 2013)

Compared with our world, globes are slightly larger and orbit a smaller star They’re not quite Earth’s twins, but they might be its big sisters. Two planets slightly larger than Earth have been found by NASA’s Kepler space telescope. The planets circle their star at a distance seemingly just right for life. Detailed in research published April 18 in Science, the two planets are likely the first of many that, at least from a distance, look a whole lot like home...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349783/
description/Most_Earthlike_planets_yet_seen_bring_Kepler_closer_to_its_holy_grail

Structure associated with memory formation predicts learning ability A child who is good at learning math may literally have a head for numbers. Kids’ brain structures and wiring are associated with how much their math skills improve after tutoring, researchers report April 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350018/
description/Brain_measurements_predict_math_progress_with_tutoring

Ingredients trigger insects' genes for detoxification and immune defenses Honey is more than a sweet treat to bees. It turns out that it doses honeybees with certain compounds that switch on their detox defenses...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350023/description/Bees_need_honeys_natural_pharmaceuticals

Storm dwarfs anything on Earth An enormous cyclone spinning around Saturn’s north pole puts to shame even Earth’s most devastating hurricanes. New snapshots reveal that the storm’s eye spans 2,000 kilometers, making it some 30 times larger than the average Earth hurricane eye. And with a speed of more than 500 kilometers per hour, the storm’s winds blow twice as fast as a Category 5 hurricane, NASA announced April 29...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350033/
description/News_in_Brief_Snapshots_reveal_details_of_Saturns_gigantic_hurricane

Tiny camera with 180 linked lenses captures panoramic views, could provide surveillance A new digital camera may change the meaning of bug-eyed. Inspired by the compound eyes of certain ants, beetles and flies, engineers have developed a digital camera that, thanks to 180 tiny lenses, is capable of panoramic views. Such cameras might soon bedeck tiny flying robots that could scour a disaster site for survivors or conduct other aerial surveillance...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350082/description/News_in_Brief_Recreating_the_eye_of_the_fly

Simple relationship between velocity and number of spokes in star-shaped fracture A shattered windshield has a story to tell. The key to hearing it is counting the cracks. The number of cracks that emerge in a plate of glass or Plexiglas relates to the speed of the object that broke it, researchers demonstrate April 26 in Physical Review Letters. This simple relationship could prove useful for forensic scientists, archaeologists and even astronomers...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350088/
description/Counting_cracks_in_glass_gives_speed_of_projectile

But protection from some immune conditions weakens after several years Spending the first few years of life someplace other than the United States seems to protect against allergy and asthma. An analysis finds that children who were born elsewhere and moved to the U.S. are less prone to these immune ailments than U.S.-born kids. But for some allergic complaints, the mysterious protection weakens after long exposure to an American lifestyle, researchers report April 29 in JAMA Pediatrics...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350112/
description/Allergy_asthma_less_frequent_in_foreign-born_kids_in_US

Researchers make flapping machines that take off Robots that can flap their wings, hover and dart around like a fly could help scientists better understand the finer points of insect aviation, researchers report in the May 3 Science...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350138/description/Winged_robots_may_shed_light_on_fly_aerobatics

Exposure to lead and chromium particularly problematic for people living in three developing countries Living near a toxic waste site may represent as much of a health threat as some infectious diseases, a study in three developing countries finds...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350205/
description/Toxic_waste_sites_may_cause_health_problems_for_millions

Creature's cells change shape to form appendages Making a sea anemone tentacle takes a bit of stretching and squeezing, researchers report in the May 15 Development...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350237/
description/News_in_Brief_How_a_sea_anemone_grows_its_tentacles

Tapering asymmetry of some nuclei confirms predictions Atomic nuclei come in many shapes and sizes, and scientists have now obtained precise measurements of an elusive form: pear-shaped. Studying these exotic nuclei, which are described in the May 9 Nature, could allow physicists to better understand subatomic structure and to find new particles and forces...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350258/description/Atoms_core_gets_pear-shaped

Simulation suggests long-term effect on sea level not as dire as some predictions The increasing pace of ice breaking off Greenland’s glaciers and dumping into the ocean may not actually be a warning sign of runaway ice loss and catastrophic sea level rise, researchers report in the May 9 Nature...
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350253/
description/News_in_Brief_Ice_loss_from_Greenlands_glaciers_may_level_off

Inhaling air pollutants can trigger breathing problems, such as asthma. Asthma itself can be triggered by allergies. So physicians have observed that allergies, asthma and air pollution go hand in hand in hand. Still, scientists weren’t exactly sure why they were linked. New data now provide clues.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/study-connects-pollution-to-several-common-diseases-that-affect-the-lungs-and-airways//

It sounds like science fiction: Scientists used electronics to link the brains of two rats and then showed that one animal could share information. Oh, and the rodents sometimes communicated long distance — over the Internet. A sender was in Brazil, the receiver animal in North Carolina.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/brain-to-brain/

While adult engineers, scientists and other inventors submit most patent applications, there is no age limit. This year, 17 of the Intel Science Talent Search semifinalists and finalists – all teens -- either have applied for a patent or have already received one. Additionally, another 20 semifinalists and finalists plan to seek a patent on their inventions.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/teens-seek-invention-protection/

Coffee drinkers aren’t the only ones getting a brain boost from a little caffeine. The drug improves honeybees’ long-term memory, a new study shows. Bees are more likely to remember flowers that had caffeine in their nectar.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/another-buzz-for-bees/

Mantis shrimp are crustaceans, a group of animals that includes crabs and lobsters. Resembling cartoon characters, the small animals sport oddly shaped antennae that detect chemicals. Stiff, paddlelike flaps on the sides of their heads probably act as ears. Spines often decorate their tails. Big eyes on stalks bug out from their heads. And the animals come in dazzling colors, including green, pink, orange and electric blue.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/mantis-shrimp-colorful-marine-creatures-possess-deadly-weapons-and-complex-vision//

Resembling huge, squishy darts with tentacles, giant squid live in the darkest depths of the ocean. People seldom see these mysterious creatures. But scientists just got to know the animals much better. In a study published in March, researchers clear up a long-standing mystery about how closely these animals are related. To their surprise, they found the colossal creatures belong to a single global species.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/genes-show-all-giant-squid-belong-to-one-worldwide-species/

President Barack Obama has unveiled a long-term neuroscience research initiative that will develop new tools and technologies to study human and animal brains on larger scales than currently possible. Announced April 2, the BRAIN Initiative could ultimately help researchers better understand human behavior and thought and develop new ways to diagnose, treat and cure neurological and psychiatric diseases.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349333/description/Obama_unveils_brain_science_program_

A $2-billion experiment on the International Space Station has released the first data from its unprecedented census of the charged subatomic particles whizzing by Earth. Although the results, presented April 3 at a seminar at CERN in Geneva, largely confirm previous observations, researchers hope they will lead to discovering the identity of dark matter, an invisible form of matter that outweighs normal matter in the universe by more than 5 to 1.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349352/
description/Cosmic_ray_detector_confirms_hints_of_dark_matter

Lonely coral reefs aren’t doomed to die alone. Isolated reefs can bounce back from serious injury despite their lack of helpful neighbors, researchers report in the April 5 Science.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349406/
description/News_in_Brief_Isolated_coral_reefs_can_regrow_after_bleaching

A computer can decode the stuff of dreams. By comparing brain activity during sleep with activity patterns collected while study participants looked at certain objects, a computer learned to identify some contents of people’s unconscious reveries.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349372/description/Dream_contents_deciphered_by_computer

An experiment grown under her bed at home won Sara Volz $100,000 on March 12. The 17-year-old snagged the grand prize at the 2013 Intel Science Talent Search (STS). She conducted an experiment that coaxed algae into boosting their production of oil for use in biofuel. She and the 39 other finalists collectively took home $630,000 in awards for their outstanding research achievements.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/teens-win-big-for-their-research/

We Give Books is a new digital initiative from the Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation that enables anyone with access to the Internet to put books in the hands of children who don't have them. All of the picture books are available for online reading and are appropriate for children up to age 10. There is a mix of fiction and nonfiction, a range of authors, and an equal balance between read-alouds and books for independent readers. For more information, go to:
http://www.wegivebooks.org/

CICF focuses its efforts on programs designed to improve the quality of life in communities served by the cruise industry. The Foundation supports programs that enhance educational opportunities for youth, including those designed to improve literacy, teach basic life skills, and promote good citizenship. CICF also supports academic enrichment opportunities aimed at enhancing student proficiencies in reading, math, and science. For more information, go to:
http://www.cruisefoundation.org/

Dollar General, in collaboration with ALA, AASL and NEA, is sponsoring a school library disaster relief fund for public school libraries in states served by Dollar General. The fund will provide $10,000-20,000 grants to public schools whose school library program has been affected by a disaster. In addition, 2 catastrophic grants of $50,000 each will be awarded annually. Grants are to replace or supplement books, media, and library equipment in the school library setting. For more information, go to:
http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslawards/beyondwords/disasterrelief

JetStream, the National Weather Service Online Weather School, is designed to help K-12 educators and emergency managers learn about weather and weather safety. The information contained in JetStream is arranged by subject, beginning with global and large scale weather patterns followed by lessons on air masses, wind patterns, cloud formations, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging winds, tornadoes, tropical storms, cyclones, and flooding. "Learning Lessons" interspersed in JetStream can be used to enhance the overall educational experience. For more information, go to:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/index.htm

DataStreme Atmosphere is an AMS major pre-college teacher enhancement initiative to train weather education resource teachers. The program shows how to teach K-12 science, mathematics, and technology using weather. Resource teachers participate in the DataStreme Atmosphere distance-learning course, offered twice a year to selected participants. The 13-week course focuses on the study of the atmospheric environment through the use of electronically-transmitted weather data and learning materials, such as study guide readings and investigations. For more information, go to:
http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu/DataStremeFrames.html

The NSF’s PSCIC was created to form a new type of organization, iPlant: a collaborative that enables transformative research through the use of a unified cyberinfrastructure. iPlant is a community of researchers, educators, and students working to enrich all plant sciences through the development of cyberinfrastructure - the physical computing resources, collaborative environment, virtual machine resources, and interoperable analysis software and data services – that are essential components of modern biology. iPlant fosters a new generation of biologists equipped to harness rapidly expanding computational techniques and growing data sets to address the challenges of plant biology. For more information, go to:
http://www.iplantcollaborative.org/

The P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children's Education offers grants of $1,000 for new or evolving programs within preK-12 schools that integrate the arts into educational programs and serve all children (including students who learn differently). The purpose of this grant is to aid and support teachers who wish to establish or maintain an effective learning tool using the visual arts within the school day. For more information:
http://www.mossfoundation.org/national-educators-grants-0

Each year, Bonnie Plants distributes free cabbage plants to 3rd-graders across the country to foster an interest in gardening and the environment. Cabbages will be delivered to students whose teachers have signed up to participate. Students will each receive their own cabbage to plant, care for, and harvest. As part of the program, Bonnie Plants will also give a $1,000 award to 1 student in each state. For more information, go to:
http://www.bonnieplants.com/CabbageProgram/tabid/81/Default.aspx

In "From Failure to Promise," author Dr. Cleamon Moorer describes his experiences, from flunking out of college to becoming an engineer, consultant, and a university professor. He is now awarding $1,000 to a community-based organization, library, or school that uses the tenets of his book to motivate, energize, and catapult K-12 students to reach their full potential in literacy, math, science, or technology. Please note: Teachers are not required to purchase a book. In most circumstances, a review copy will be provided upon request. For more information, go to:
http://www.fromfailuretopromise.com/K-12--Educator-s-Literacy-Grant.html

The Civil War Trusts' Best Civil War Lesson Plan Contest invites K-12 educators to submit lesson plans that focus on the American Civil War. All lessons must be authored by only 1 teacher, follow the format of Civil War Trust Lesson Plans, include a goal and measurable objectives, include list of the materials to be used, as well as copies of teacher-created handouts, and use at least 1 primary source. The first place winner will receive $2,500, second place $1,000, and third place $500. For more information, go to:
http://www.civilwar.org/education/contests-quizzes/best-lesson-plan/best-lesson-plan.html

The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program invites middle and high school students to examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others. Playwrights may write about their own experiences or the experiences of another person or fictional character. Young playwrights with or without disabilities are encouraged to apply. The selected script will be professionally staged and produced at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The award recipient will receive up to $2,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C. to view the winning script as it is performed onstage. For more information, go to:
http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/vsa/programs/playwright_discovery.cfm

Sensor wired into a rat’s brain lets it detect light it can’t see A sensor wired to a portion of the rat brain that normally processes the sense of touch enabled a group of the laboratory animals to detect a form of light they cannot ordinarily see, scientists say. The new research underscores how adaptable the brain is. It also offers hope that someday people who have suffered severe brain damage or gone blind could regain some lost function.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/02/feeling-the-invisible/

Here’s one new mom with lots of experience — at least 62 years of it. On February 3, a Laysan albatross named Wisdom hatched a healthy chick on a Pacific island near Hawaii. It was the sixth year in a row this bird had hatched a chick.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/02/at-62-albatross-hatches-a-healthy-chick/

French engineers report success in the first test of an underground seismic shield The best way to avoid an earthquake might be to make it detour around you. Engineers have designed a new seismic shield to do just that. If successful, it might one day protect a treated area from powerful earthquakes.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/quake-quake-go-away/

Strong sticking power and quick reaction time helps them hold onto trees Asian weaver ants boast not one but two superpowers: an extremely good grasp and a super quick backup strategy to keep from losing that grip during emergencies. Researchers reported their new findings in a scientific journal on February 27.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/02/asian-weaver-ants-boast-strong-sticking-power-and-quick-reaction-time-helps-them-hold-onto-trees//

Researchers are building simple, miniature satellites to bring down their costs and expand their availability You don’t need a big satellite to do big science. Smaller satellites can cost less to make. So even small research teams can rather inexpensively rocket their instruments into orbit. One group has just launched tiny telescopes this way to study stars.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/supertiny-satellites-launched/

Once given up as all but extinct, the North Atlantic right whale is making a comeback Late in the summer of 1992, Scott Kraus and Moira Brown were in Canada, eating pizza with some coworkers. Suddenly, the restaurant’s owner came into the dining room and asked: “Is there a Scott Kraus? There’s a phone call for you.”
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/03/whale-of-a-lesson/

Samples collected long ago may hold answers to important questions in science and medicine today When deadly virus outbreaks occur, scientists want to know where the disease is coming from and how to stop it. In their search for answers, some will pay a visit to their local museum. They are not trying to take their minds off the outbreak. Instead, they come to sift through the museum’s historic collections, looking for clues that might help them save lives.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/02/cool-jobs-museum-science/

The MEAF supports programs in which disabled young people have full access to educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities. The Foundation especially supports nonprofit 501(c) organizations that address important needs, have broad scope and impact, and demonstrate potential for replication at other sites. While requests from all parts of the U.S. will be considered, priority will be given to communities where Mitsubishi Electric U.S. companies are located. For more information, go to:
http://meaf.org/grants.php

The Thomson Gale TEAMS Award is open to all K-12 public and private school teachers in the United States who have collaborated with media specialists to promote learning and increase student achievement. Three winners will receive $2,500, Gale products, a 1-year subscription to Library Media Connection, and a choice of professional publications from Linworth Books. Winners will also be featured in a Library Media Connection article. For more information, go to:
http://www.galeschools.com/TEAMS/

Scientists now have one polar ice study to rule them all. An international team of researchers has compiled 20 years of data from 10 satellite missions to create the most comprehensive assessment to date of Greenland’s and Antarctica’s shrinking ice sheets…
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346733/
description/Shrinking_polar_ice_caused_one-fifth_of_sea_level_rise

Dollar General, in collaboration with ALA, AASL and NEA, is sponsoring a school library disaster relief fund for public school libraries in states served by Dollar General. The fund will provide $10,000-20,000 grants to public schools whose school library program has been affected by a disaster. In addition, 2 catastrophic grants of $50,000 each will be awarded annually. Grants are to replace or supplement books, media, and library equipment in the school library setting. For more information, go to:
http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslawards/beyondwords/disasterrelief

Researchers create new material that may be world’s hardestDiamonds have long been considered the world’s hardest material. Scrape one across any surface, and it will leave a scratch. Press one into any surface, and it will make a dent. But the prized mineral’s record status now appears in peril: Researchers have created a new material that may be even harder than diamond.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345990/description/FOR_KIDS_Harder_than_diamonds

Mars rover finds rocks that show where water once flowed Since August, NASA's Curiosity rover has been exploring a giant Martian crater with a mountain in the middle. Scientists announced in late September that if the rover had arrived at this spot 3.5 billion years earlier, it might have landed with a splash. Curiosity seems to have landed in the middle of a former streambed…
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345994/description/FOR_KIDS_Curiosity%E2%80%99s_watery_find

The AIAA Foundation gives up to $200 to science and math programs. Eligible applicants include AIAA Educator Associates who are K-12 teachers that apply science, mathematics, and technology in their curriculum. Grants may be used for classroom demonstration kits, classroom science supplies, or other materials that energize science, math, and technology hands-on learning. For more information, go to:
http://www.grantwrangler.com/GrantManager/templates/?a=66&z=0

Horton and the Mayor of Whoville have teamed up in the fight against climate change. Download your guide to find out what their tips are for you to help in the fight.
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/publications/pubdocs/HortonESActiv508.pdf

How do you provide reliable healthcare Riders is an award-winning nonprofit that works to make sure all health workers in Africa have access to reliable transportation so they can reach the most isolated and vulnerable people. Riders' providers use low-tech motorcycles with high fuel efficiency. The organization also makes sure that the bikes are well-maintained, and the health workers ride them responsibly, so that they provide reliable transportation in remote areas and emissions are kept to a minimum.
http://www.riders.org/default.aspx

The Center for Global Development (CGD) in Washington, D.C. has a new online database called Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA) that documents the carbon emissions of thousands of individual power plants worldwide, giving people access to information helpful for reducing fossil fuel pollution in their regions. Check the power plants in your area at
http://carma.org/

Create a lesson plan and qualify to win a mobile digital camera lab plus as many as 43 different grants for hardware and software. The program is sponsored by Olympus. Deadlines are open. For more information, go to
http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/grant_awards

NASA offers a number of activities requiring students to apply their math skills to solve problems in space. The problems are authentic glimpses of modern engineering issues that arise in designing satellites to work in space. Each word problem has background information providing insight into the sun-Earth system, specifically space weather. Teachers' guides with answer keys are also included.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/
listbytype/Extra-Credit_Problems_in_Space_Science.html

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy offers 350 lessons and activities on energy efficiency and renewable energy. It's website, "K-12 Energy Lesson Plans and Activities," organizes the materials by grade level and topic. A wide range of topics are available, including biomass, geothermal, hydrogen and fuel cells, ocean energy, solar power, transportation fuels, wind energy, and energy efficiency and conservation. Site visitors can learn about passive solar buildings, advanced photovoltaics, or basic wind turbines. They can also take an energy awareness quiz, estimate their carbon footprint, and then find ways to reduce it. Access the website at
http://www.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/.

The EPICS program invites high schools to create engineering projects in service-learning. Designed to engage and motivate high school students in the fields of engineering and computer sciences, this program offers much more by teaching them the professional skills needed to succeed in today's workforce.

EPICS is also offering summer training sessions to high school teachers and administrators who want to use the model for their students.

For more information about the EPICS program, visit
http://epics-high.ecn.purdue.edu/

Available for downloading from the NASA website is the poster and activity booklet, "What is Your Cosmic Connection to the Elements?" Find cool information about the cosmic origin of the chemical elements, the big bang, star life cycles, cosmic rays, and fusion.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/
listbytype/What_Is_Your_Cosmic_Connection_Poster.html

Extraordinary Road Trip is an educational computer game that teaches players how driving affects air quality. Players make transportation decisions for 25 characters to learn how these choices impact the environment. XRT is fun and free edutainment for teens and drivers of all ages.
http://www.extraordinaryroadtrip.org/

Visit the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) Earth Portal, a website dedicated to science-based information about the environment. The portal was created by a global community of environmental experts and features an Encyclopedia of Earth, environmental news, and forum where experts discuss different issues. Check out all the Earth Portal has to offer at:
http://www.earthportal.org/

The Alliance to Save Energy is launching "Generation E," a nationwide campaign to help youth tackle climate change by promoting energy efficiency. Youth can register to form an Energy Club, and the Alliance will support them with activities, resources, guidance, and recognition. To learn more, visit
http://www.ase.org/

Do Something is a not-for-profit organization that works to inspire, support, and celebrate young social entrepreneurs and community activists. For more information, go to
http://www.dosomething.org/grants

As a Global Warming Ambassador, you will introduce the Federation to the general public through presentations and community events, explain how global warming affects wildlife habitat, and tell people what they can do to confront global warming. To get involved, visit
http://www.nwf.org/volunteertypes/

National Geographic's Global Warming Simulation is an interactive map charting climate change. It also provides resources that promote eco-friendly practices. To learn more, visit
http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-impacts-interactive.html

Global warming has increased the odds against survival for many wild creatures. The sea ice that polar bears call home is melting. In Yellowstone National Park, the whitebark pine seeds that grizzly bears eat are disappearing due to increasing beetle populations. Longer droughts are making food scarcer for California's bighorn sheep, and Pacific Northwest salmon must spawn in unnaturally warm waters. In Florida, the last remaining manatee families are battered by more frequent and intense tropical storms. Check the Sierra Club's interactive map to see endangered species in your area and how global warming is affecting them.
http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlife/species/map/

Finding Inspiration in Literature and Movies (F.I.L.M.) is sponsoring the Youth Film Project to encourage Hollywood to create more movies with positive messages. Several F.I.L.M. movies are now available for rental or purchase on DVD, including Happy Feet, and Dreamer: Inspired by You. F.I.L.M. offers online activity guides that focus on the main themes (such as the environment) from the movies and accompanying books. To learn more, visit
http://www.youthfilmproject.org/

The five focus areas for U.S. applicants are education, health and human services, arts and culture, civic, and the environment. Grants are also available to organizations outside the U.S. Boeing also provides in-kind donations and services. Guidelines, including deadlines for applications, are available at
http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/community/focus_objectives.html

Correspondence Match is a two-year exchange between Peace Corps volunteers and students in U.S. classrooms to promote cross-cultural learning. Teachers can choose any region of the world, any kind of program (e.g., environment, agriculture, business, education, health), and even a specific volunteer. Participants receive a handbook to facilitate the exchange. To learn more, visit
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/correspond/

Adobe will donate software to U.S. or international schools and qualified nonprofit organizations. Find out more at.
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/philanthropy/software.html

Energy Quest, the California Energy Commission's energy education website for children, received two "Dottie Awards" at a presentation ceremony in Sacramento.

The Commission's website won top honors in the Education and History category. And when all the numbers were tabulated and judges' votes added up, Energy Quest had the highest numerical score and was given the "Top Dot" award - the top website of all 80 finalists. More...