**Energy tip of the week: Save our tropical forests! Did you know that just one acre of tropical forest offsets the amount of pollution produced by 40 vehicles a year? Make sure the wood products your family buys come from carefully managed forests, not from endangered tropical forests.

Disney's Friends for Change: Project Green will help kids help the planet. Some favorite Disney stars such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato will send out green messages on the Disney Channel, Disney XD, Radio Disney and Disney.com.
http://www.disney.com/projectgreen

The Best Buy Recycling Grant Program supports consumer electronics recycling in communities across the country through grants ranging from $500 to $1,500. All organizations and groups are eligible to apply, including nonprofit organizations, cities, counties, and public-private partnerships, with priority given to nonprofit organizations. Applications may be submitted at any time. For more information, visit
http://www.bbycommunications.com/crnew/recycling.asp

California’s Water Conservation Resource’s “Save Our Water” website offers an interactive tutorial on how you can save water in your home. It also has a water savings calculator and information for kids. For water saving tips, go to
http://www.saveourh2o.org/

With the increasing numbers of wild fires, fire safety is becoming extremely important. The U.S. Fire Administration provides a website for kids to teach fire safety precautions and tips. It offers interactive lessons and a variety of games including word searches, crossword puzzles, coloring pages and others. To view the website, please go to
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/kids/flash.shtm

In mid-November, a large “bloom” of phytoplankton (a plant-like organism that fish feed on), could be seen in the Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand. The bloom changes the way the surface of the ocean reflects and absorbs sunlight, which creates bright blue swirls of color. To see the satellite photo supplied by NASA’s Earth Observatory, go to
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=35913

Join your peers from around the country for a concentrated week of special events and community outreach activities designed to raise awareness and build support for service-learning. Through this challenge, you can promote service learning projects among primary, secondary and college-age students. For more information about the National Learn and Serve Challenge, go to
http://www.learnandservechallenge.org/index.php

Solar System Ambassadors is a public outreach program designed for space enthusiasts from various walks of life who are interested in bringing the excitement of space science and exploration to their local communities. To join the program, email ambassadors@jpl.nasa.gov.

To find an ambassador in your area and for a calendar of upcoming events, visit
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/events.html

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

As part of its Youth Investment Program, the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council will grant between $2 million and $2.5 million in funding to improve the lives of underserved youth by providing greater access to outdoor experiences from urban parks in the city to watersheds in the wilderness. In 2008, there are four different grant rounds three rounds focused on outdoor and environmental education programs and one on building parks and playgrounds. For more information, follow this link to the 2008 RFPs:
http://www.stewardshipcouncil.org/youth_investment
/guidelines_and_application.php?v=0

What early inventions can we attribute to Leonardo da Vinci? What item does virtually every household have that was dreamed up by a 14-year-old plowing a field? Test your knowledge about great inventions at
http://www.livescience.com/php/trivia/?quiz=inventions

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 2007 Peace Prize was awarded jointly to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and to former Vice President Al Gore, Jr., "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." Did you know that scientists from Lawrence Berkeley Lab contributed to the IPCC's climate change research reports? Click below to read the article. http://eetd.lbl.gov/newsletter/nl27/eetd-nl27-5.html What else do you know about Nobel Prize winners? To learn more about great scientists, activists, writers and others who have won the prize, hear what they have to say or watch a YouTube video of the award ceremony, go to http://nobelprize.org/index.html

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/

Hilton Hotels offers grants for various community projects, including education and youth programs. Deadlines are open-ended. For more information, visit
http://hiltonworldwide1.hilton.com/en_US/ww/business/citizenship.do

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

This comprehensive guide lists hundreds of service project ideas, including projects for community development and beautification, crime fighting, the environment, health, and many more for which young people's service can make a difference.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=2918

The California Coastal Commission has created a web page about oil spills for teachers and students. Go directly to
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/oilspills.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

DonorsChoose.org is an easy way for teachers to find donors to fund their classroom project proposals. The web site reviews teacher proposals and then matches them with "Citizen Philanthropists." Learn how this unique funding program works at http://www.donorschoose.org/contact/link.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/

Teachers can order a free, student-produced video, "Easy Breathers," which helps teens and others make informed decisions about driving and air quality
http://www.easybreathers.org/index3.asp

Play Energyville and find out. Energyville is an online game sponsored by Chevron and the Economist Group. Power your city and network with other players to find energy solutions.
http://www.willyoujoinus.com/

Did you know that free online courses are available for middle school, high school and college students who want to learn about the weather? Meteorology Education & Training (MedEd) offers education and training resources to professionals, scientists, educators and students on meteorology and weather forecasting. Learn about the water cycle, global climate change, satellite imagery and more on atmospheric science, MetEd is part of the Comet Program, which is funded by NOAA National Weather Service. For details, visit:
http://www.meted.ucar.edu/comm_k12.htm

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

The Go Green Initiative is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation. Founded in 2002, the Go Green Initiative unites parents, students, teachers and school administrators in an effort to make real and lasting changes in their campus communities that will protect children and the environment for years to come. To learn more, go to
http://gogreeninitiative.org/index.php

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/

What do you know about different places on earth? Take the National Geographic GeoBee Challenge and find out:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/index.html.

Tools for Building Math Concepts, explores how teachers can use software tools to help 3rd-5th graders develop fundamental math concepts by gathering data and investigating patterns. Teachers who complete the Tools workshop will receive continuing education credits at no charge. The workshop connects teachers with the Math Forum's Math Tools, a digital library and teaching community of technology tools, lessons, activities, and support materials. Teachers can register online at
http://mathforum.org/toolsandconcepts

GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide education and science program. Funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), it helps schoolchildren learn about the environment and Earth. Beginning in March, GLOBE will offer activities to celebrate International Polar Year, including pole-to-pole (that's the North and South poles) Web chats and a student-scientist Web forum. For more information, visit:
http://www.globe.gov/fsl/html/templ.cgi?ipy_announce&lang=en&nav=1

Ripple Kids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering kids to take action in their communities. Whether it is saving energy and addressing global climate change, picking up trash or raising money for pediatric cancer research, Ripple Kids wants to promote the good work of young people. To learn more, visit
www.ripplekids.com/howtobe.php

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...