GEF Institute's Sustainability Education Available Free to Tennessee's K-12 Schools

WALPOLE, MA, November 17, 2012 (Press-News.org) As part of a grant from a Tennessee based company, Green Education Foundation (GEF) is able to offer its paid for online courses and curriculum to K-12 schools in Tennessee at no cost. Schools, classrooms and youth groups in Tennessee, and nationwide, are also encouraged to join GEF's free National Green Week program, the largest K-12 sustainability education campaign in history.

Resources available to Tennessee at no cost include GEF Institute's online Sustainability Specialist Certificate in K-12 Sustainability Education Strategies, valued at $400. This specialty certificate includes an emphasis on teaching methods and curriculum integration for educators looking to enhance their teaching of sustainability concepts or broaden their application of STEM skills in the classroom. The course is eligible for .75 CEUs or .5 academic credits from the Institute's partner university. Read more about the certificate on the Institute's website.

High school educators in Tennessee can also take advantage of the Institute's green building blended learning curriculum, normally priced at $250-500 per unit. There are eight topics to choose from that focus on green building principles and practices. Designed for a blended learning experience, students access online assessments, readings, quizzes, videos, glossary, and discussion forum. Educators are provided with all necessary resources for each 30-hour unit including digital textbook, scripted lessons, pacing guide, audits, slides, and more. More information about the green building course is available under the Online Education section of the Institute's website.

Ideal for those working toward a Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award, Tennessee schools can have complimentary access to the Blueprint for Sustainability Literacy, normally priced at $3,000. The goal of the Blueprint is to help schools produce sustainability literate graduates without diverting from national teaching standards. It offers an outline of relevant National and Common Core standards, a brief description of the concepts these standards aim to teach, how sustainability can be integrated into these concepts across all grades, and teaching tools that instructors can incorporate into their lesson-plan without having to do any additional work.

National Green Week and all its content is available free nationwide. Green Week kicks off February 4-8, but participants can choose any week between then and the end of April (Earth Month) to be their Green Week. During Green Week, participants are encouraged to spend time discussing sustainability topics, teaching lessons or tackling a sustainability project. Those who sign up for Green Week before February 1 will be entered to win reusable water bottles for a classroom. For more information about Green Week and to sign up for free, visit GEF's website, http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org.

If you're an educator or administrator in Tennessee, and you have questions or would like access to the resources available, please email Molly Hislop, mhislop@greeneducationfoundation.org.

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 http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org. Join the sustainability education conversation by following GEF on Twitter @greenedufdn and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/greenedufoundation.

About GEF Institute
GEF Institute, a division of Green Education Foundation (GEF), was established to meet the increasing market demand for sustainability focused education and training. The Institute builds on GEF's expertise in K-12 sustainability education and STEM concepts by offering affordable online courses in sustainability to educators, students at the high school and undergraduate level, employees and professionals. In addition to individual online courses, the Institute's robust certificate program distinguishes those with a proven comprehensive understanding of important sustainability topics. The Institute's courses are eligible for professional development or academic credit. http://www.gefinstitute.org