Calendar of Events/Deadlines

May 2012

May 1 - PART B of Green Steps Worksheet is due. For more information click here.

May 4 - 2012 South Carolina Envirothon Competition. Deadline for Team Registration was April 13. For more information about the 2012 South Carolina Envirothon click here.

May 15 - Green Steps Mentor Annual Update is due. For more information click here.

June 2012

JUNE 8-10 - 2012 EEASC (Environmental Educators of South Carolina) Annual Conference. Sign up now! Click here to register or here to link to the EEASC home page. Early registration deadline is April 27.

JUNE 11-15 - Clemson Extension 4H20 - Exploring Lake Murray / Discover the treasures of Lake Murray. 8:30 am - 4:30 pm daily at SCE&G Recreation Area at Lake Murray, SC. For youth ages 10-12. Class limited to 20 students / Registration is first come first served / Pre-registration required. *Early Bird Tuition: $100 if received prior to May 28/ $120 if received after May 28. For more information click here.

JUNE 20 - Take Action Today - Columbia. Workshop will be held at the Medallion Center (off Garners Ferry Road). See below for more info!

JUNE 25-29 - Clemson Extension 4H20 - Exploring the Congaree Watershed / Water, Woods, and Wetlands! 8:30 am - 4:00 pm daily at Harbison State Forest, Columbia, SC. For youth ages 11-14. Class limited to 20 students / Registration is first come first served / Pre-registration required. *Early Bird Tuition: $100 if received prior to June 11 / $120 if received after June 11. For more information click here.

JUNE 26 - Take Action Today - North CHarleston. Workshop will be held at the North Charleston Elementary School. See below for more info!

Take Action Today -- a comprehensive environmental education workshop customized for South Carolina teachers and environmental educators -- will be held in two locations this year. The first will be held Wednesday, June 20, 2012 in Columbia. The second will be held Tuesday, June 26, 2012 in North Charleston. The Charleston workshop has been added to target teachers in the Lowcountry and will include tours of a recycling facility and landfill. There is no cost to attend a workshop.

Attendees will receive training on and a copy of "Action for a cleaner tomorrow," a national award-winning kindergarten through 12th grade, activity-based, interdisciplinary, environmental curriculum supplement. "Action" is correlated to the state's science standards. This year's workshops will focus on environmental/recycling clubs, composting and other initiatives.

In addition, recipients of the Take Action Today Awards will be recognized at the Columbia workshop. Please consider nominating yourself or your school for one or more of the following five awards: Outstanding Recycling Teacher of the Year; Outstanding School Recycling Program; Outstanding School Waste Reduction or Reuse Program, Outstanding School Composting Program and Outstanding School Environmental Club. Click here for the entry form.

Click here to register for TAKE ACTION TODAY. A confirmation e-mail with directions and an agenda will be e-mailed in early June. Please note that space is limited to 250 teachers for the Columbia Workshop and 100 teachers for the North Charleston Workshop. For additional information, call 1-800-768-7348 or contact Karla Isaac.

JUNE 30 - Deadline to enter the "win a school Garden from Annie's" Contest. Your entry must be on behalf of a school. There are two categories to choose from: new school garden (10 schools will win $500, or existing school garden (5 schools will win $1500). All Finalists will be eligible to win one additional Grand Prize of $2,500, a toolshed full of tools, seeds, a day of hands-on training, and a celebration event for your class at your school! The winning school will also have the option to work with Rodale to create a magazine called "Fresh" and will receive 500 printed copies of the publication. Click here for more information, contest rules, and to sign-up.

July 2012

JUly 15 - Deadline to postmark your entry for the South Carolina WIldlife Federation 10th annual Wildlife Photography Contest 2012. Calling all amateur photographers! Send SCWF your best pictures capturing the beauty of South Carolina’s nature – in your own backyard or our backyard – that being South Carolina’s natural landscapes and creatures. There are three Contest Categories: Carolina Critters, Scenes of South Carolina, and Kids in Nature. Click here for more information and entry requirements.

ONGOING

ONGOING - SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT THE CAROLINA CHILDREN'S GARDEN AND CONSERVATION STATION. Your class or grade level is welcome to visit the Carolina Children's Garden and Conservation Station on your own for picnics or self-guided field trips at no cost.  Please check the schedule before planning your gathering by emailing Tim Nafziger or calling (803) 459-3212. If the desired date and time is not already booked, they will add you to the schedule to avoid overcrowding in the Garden. Education programs are also available to groups upon request. A limited number of traveling programs to sites within Richland County are available. For more information and for programs and the covered SC Science Standards visit www.carolinachildrensgarden.org.

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ACCOLADES! TO:

Jane Hiller! Jane is the Education Coordinator at Sonoco Recycling, a founder of Green Steps Schools, and the 2012 winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Carolinas Recycling Association Conference!

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ACCOLADES! TO:

In honor of America Recycles Day, Keep America Beautiful sponsored a national contest called "Recycle Bowl." Participating schools reported what they recycled for several weeks. Judging factored in the number of students at the school and how and what  materials were collected.

Please note:
*Seven out of the top twelve SC winners are part of the free recycling program Sonoco Recycling/ Columbia offers to area schools. (We are particularly proud of these schools, because the volumes they reported match the volumes they collect in the same time period all during the school year, not just for the few weeks of the contest.)
*Five out of the top twelve are "SC Green Step Schools".
*The top two state winners hold the highly valued distinction of "Certified SC Green Step Schools."

Congratulations to these school recycling teams and the mentors and partners who make recycling possible in SC schools.

Why does recycling matter?
*Students are learning the value of conserving natural resources.
*School districts are saving education money. In the Columbia area, participating school districts are saving on average an estimated $20,000 per year off garbage fees!

2011 "Take Action Today" Teacher Workshop PowerPoint Presentations

For presentations from the 2011 Take Action Today workshops click here.