TO:  UTC Staff  - if you or someone else you know is interested.

Thanks
Donna Adams


The following message was sent to me by the USDA Soil Conservation.
This
could be a valuable resource to Master Gardener's involved in school
garden projects.

New Free Environmental Education Support Site for America's Teachers and
Home Schoolers
      Washington, D.C. - The National Environmental Education & Training
Foundation (NEETF) today announced the launch of www.ClassroomEarth.org.
It
is a free Web site with key information on how educators can obtain the
best and most usable environmental education programs available today.
www.ClassroomEarth.org is a veritable "best of the best" collection of
environmental education programs and resources for K-12 teachers,
parents,
and students. This new site will help educators, after-school providers
and
home-schooling parents to get started or improve their skills in
environmental education. It provides up-to-date information on the most
successful, well-tested and effective national environmental education
programs available today.
      The site is in five major sections - Most Popular (for K-12
classrooms), -- Rising Stars, -- After School, -- Home School, -- and
Earth
Day. Each section has a top list of outstanding programs for that
particular audience. The pages on each program contain a clear
description,
audience/grade level, overview of content and topics, materials,
educator
feedback, awards and recognition, and fast steps for obtaining and
implementing the program. The site has an Additional Resources section
that
includes a Best-of-the-Web listing of portal sites for environmental
education and a special list of free environmental education programs
offered by the national environmental resource agencies.
      The development of ClassroomEarth.org was funded through a grant
from
the Mitsubishi International Corporation Foundation. The Foundation
emphasizes effective environmental education programming.
"ClassroomEarth.org will save thousands of teachers, parents and after
school providers many hours of searching and give them confidence they
are
tapping tested, reliable and superior quality EE programs," said Kevin
Coyle, NEETF President. "This site makes environmental education much
simpler."
      Chartered by Congress in 1990, The National Environmental
Education &
Training Foundation(NEETF) is a private non-profit organization
dedicated
to advancing environmental education in its many forms. Since it was
established, the Foundation has become a leader in the development of
new
policies, grant-making approaches, and direct programming to advance
environmental literacy in America. We work in partnership with many
leading
organizations in the field. For more information about NEETF, visit
www.neetf.org

.


Kelly Jackson
Extension Agent - Hamilton County
University of Tennessee
Agriculture Extension Service
6183 Adamson Circle
Chattanooga, TN 37416
423.855.6113 Phone
423.855.6115 Fax
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