Green Education Foundation and the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council Announce the Sustainability Education Clearinghouse

WASHINGTON, DC, May 20, 2011 (Press-News.org) Green Education Foundation (GEF), along with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, announce the launch of its Sustainability Education Clearinghouse, a free online tool that provides K-12 teachers with the ability to upload and share sustainability focused lessons with one another.
"The Clearinghouse provides teachers the opportunity to seek sustainability focused lessons that have been tested and proven in the classroom," said Victoria Waters, GEF President. "The goal is to offer educators a robust set of sustainably curricula, a growing area of interest and need for educators."

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the creation of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will recognize schools that have taken great strides in greening their curricula, buildings, school grounds and overall building operations. The Clearinghouse's online tool offers green-themed lessons from a broad spectrum of subjects and grade levels, uploaded for teachers by teachers, which can help schools looking to achieve Green Ribbon recognition. The Clearinghouse curriculum further enhances GEF's core online content with a plethora of lessons and hands-on projects focused on environmental, economic and social systems in an effort to provide students with real-world applied learning strategies.

"At the Center for Green Schools at USGBC we've met hundreds of educators from green schools across the country who have created dynamic and innovative curriculum around sustainability themes. We partnered with the Green Education Foundation to create the Sustainability Education Clearinghouse to give these committed and inspired educators the opportunity to share curriculum and lesson plans with their peers, who in turn will educate their students about sustainability and the environment," said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools. "The Center is dedicated to achieving green schools for everyone within this generation and educating for sustainability is an incredibly important part of making this happen."
The Clearinghouse provides users the ability to rate, review and download lessons by grade, subject, eco-area as well to view the most downloaded. With the addition of the Clearinghouse, GEF now provides a one-stop shop for educators to view and access lessons as well as share their own creative works with others.

All GEF content and lessons are available for free to educators worldwide. Visit http://www.SEClearinghouse.org to upload, share and comment on green-themed lessons today. Visit http://www.GreenEducationFoundation.org to plan for your green or Earth Day 2011 project.

Sustainability Education (SE)
Sustainability education (SE) is an integrative teaching model that connects student knowledge of environmental, economic, and social systems with real-world applied learning strategies. SE develops the 21st century skills, vision and habits necessary to build a sustainable future. It encompasses environmental education, a longstanding discipline, within the context of broader concepts such as global populations, climate change, and green building.

About Green Education Foundation (GEF)
Green Education Foundation (GEF), a non-profit organization, is committed to creating a sustainable future through education. GEF provides curriculum and resources to K-12 students and teachers worldwide with the goal of challenging youth to think holistically and critically about global environmental concerns and solutions. Visit http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org to learn more. GEF's National Green Week mobilizes millions of students each year to participate in eco-challenges that empower school communities to achieve measurable and sustainable goals in waste reduction and energy conservation. For more information visit: http://www.GreenEducationFoundation.org

About the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is how USGBC is making sure every student has the opportunity to attend a green school within this generation. From the kindergartner entering the classroom, to the Ph.D. student performing researching in a lab, the Center provides the resources and support to elevate dialogue, accelerate policy and institute innovation toward green schools and campuses. High-performing schools result in high-performing students, and the Center works directly with staff, teachers, faculty, students, administrators, elected officials and communities to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable places to live and learn, work and play. http://www.centerforgreenschools.org.

About U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 79 local affiliates, 16,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. http://www.usgbc.org