Calendar of Events/Deadlines

Announcing the YEAR OF THE FROG in the Midlands! Calling all artists (ages 3-93) to make frog sculptures from reclaimed materials. Selected sculptures will be hopping about the region to advertise a Climate Change Workshop for families, educators and students at Saluda Shoals Park on Saturday, April 13th…and other related events. Students (K-12) can enter frog sculptures, puppets or costumes in Sonoco Recycling's annual RETHINK Contest at Kids Day Lexington in April. Questions? Click here for information and the application or contact jane.hiller@sonoco.com.

Annual RETHINK CONTEST
This year Sonoco Reycling is excited to be partnering with EdVenture Museum for our annual RETHINK Contest.
Schools are encouraged to hold their own RETHINK CONTEST in which students (K-12) make something wonderful out of something they would usually throw away or recycle.
Each school can submit the name of one student winner who has created a  "functional" invention (ie a musical instrument, game, toy, helpful device, etc.)The first 30 winners submitted will be invited to EdVenture's "Maker Faire" http://makerfairecolumbiasc.com/
on June 1st to demonstrate his/her invention. Your winner and family will be admitted free to the event. Sonoco Recycling will judge the entries that day and give $100 cash prize to the overall winner. Entries will be judged by the age level of the inventor so young students have as much chance of winning as older students.  We especially like inventions that can be easily replicated by students across the state.

Please encourage your students to make an invention over spring break!

REGISTER NOW! Visit http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/recycle/action.htm to register. For more information, call 1-800-768-7348.

Green Step Schools will be recognized.
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Take Action Today – a one-day, comprehensive environmental education workshop for South Carolina educators – will be held June 19, 2013 in Columbia at the Medallion Center off Garners Ferry Road.

Take Action Today materials and lessons are from “Action for a cleaner tomorrow” (“Action”) – 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 workshop will feature:
·  instructions for starting or expanding your school’s recycling program;
·  tips for beginning an environmental club;
·  recommendations for setting up a school composting program; 
·  tours of a landfill and recycling processing facility; and
·  updates on key recycling issues.

May 2013

May 3 - 2013 South Carolina Envirothon Competition. State Competition will be at the Clemson University Sandhill Research & Education Center, Columbia, SC. Registration Deadline is April 12. Registration Fee: $100. Each Envirothon Team will consist of three to five members. In addition to team members, one alternate will be allowed per team. The alternate is only allowed to compete with his/her team if a regular team member cannot participate. Alternates will be allowed to form unofficial teams and test their knowledge at the competition, but these teams are not eligible to win. You must register alternates interested in participating on one of these unofficial teams at the registration tent the day of the competition. Medical releases and photo waivers will be required for all team members and alternates. Click here for Team Registration Forms.

May 17 - Richland County Recycles Day. 9am-1pm event for Richland County Schools will be held in the Ellison Building at the SC State Fair Grounds. Lunch and gift bags will be provided for students! RSVP by April 19th. Please REGISTER EARLY! Limit is 60 4th or 5th Grade students per Richland County school. Click here for the event flyer. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Shirley Mims at (803) 576-2446 or mimss@rcgov.us.

May 18 - Family Butterfly Program at Carolina Children's Garden
Date and Time: Saturday, May 18 10:00am-11:30am
Where: Meet at the Amphitheater in the Carolina Children's Garden
Presenters: Jackie Jordan, Richland County Extension Agent and Joyce Pundt, Richland County Master Gardener
Cost: 8.00 per child Cost includes live caterpillar, host plant, and butterfly booklet
Registration: Preregister online with name and numbers at carolinachildrensgarden.org
Pay for program onsite when you arrive.
Class is limited to 20 children grades K-5
Program content includes life cycle of butterfly, fascinating butterfly facts, and care of host and nectar plants.

June 2013

Hi, School Gardeners—
The 2nd Annual SC School Garden Workshop has just been announced! Wednesday, June 12; Phillips Market Center at the State Farmer’s Market; 9:00 am-3:30 pm; free; 100 seats available; register at http://schoolgardenworkshop.eventbrite.com/

June 14-16 - EEASC Annual Retreat and Conference. The EEASC 2013 Retreat and Conference will be held at Camp St. Christopher. More details to follow.

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NEWS YOU CAN USE!

Check out 'MY GREEN APPS' - your destination for over 100 apps to help you understand and protect the environment. Click here to visit the US EPA My Green Apps site!

2013 Calendars available! In celebration of SC Arbor Day, the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District and the Richland County Conservation Commission sponsored an Arbor Day photo contest for youth and adults. Over 100 entries were received and judges chose 24 of these photographs to represent Richland County in a 2013 calendar.  Calendars are available for purchase for $12.00 each, with proceeds benefiting conservation education programs in Richland County. The calendars are printed in full-color, are spiral-bound, and include major holidays as well as important dates in conservation. They will make great holiday gifts for the conservationists in your life! An order form and information about the calendar and the winning photographers is available at www.rcgov.us/rswcd. The winning photographs are featured online at https://vimeo.com/54788566. 

The Third Annual Great American Can Roundup School Challenge Is on until April 22, 2013! Sponsored by the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), a trade association representing can makers and its suppliers. The Third Annual Challenge began Nov. 15 in honor of the national observance of America Recycles Day and ends on Earth Day, April 22, 2013. The Great American Can Roundup School Challenge is a competition that educates students about the importance and benefits of recycling cans. Participating schools are rated on a comparison between the pounds of cans recycled and the number of enrolled students. CMI awards $1,000 per state to the school recycling the most beverage cans per capita and an additional $5,000 to the national recycling champion school. Click here to learn more.

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ACCOLADES! TO:

Floyd Dinkins, Green Steps teacher at C A Taylor ES in Lexington 2 received the Golden Apple Award from WLTX.

Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, one of only 7 Certified SC Green Step Schools, has a new boardwalk made from repurposed wooden pallets. Read about their project..."Teachers Lead Community Effort to Build Garden Boardwalk". You can also read the article on the Green Steps School Face Book page.

Cindy Lilly, Green Steps Team Leader at Ocean Bay MS (Horry County), will be presenting "It Is Easy Being Green" at the NSTA National Conference in San Antonio April 13. Click here for information about the April 11-14 National Science Teachers Association 2013 conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Melinda Beach, Green Team Step Leader at St John Neumann Catholic School (Richland County),
will be presenting "Where Did the Trash Go?" at the NCEA (National Catholic Educational Association) April 4, 2013 Convention. Click here for information about the NCEA Convention.

A Greenville County Girl Scout Troop that was selected as one of ten nationwide recipients of the EARTH SAVERS Rain Garden Grant!

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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2012 "Take Action Today" Teacher Workshop PowerPoint Presentations

For presentations from the 2012 Take Action Today workshops click here.

For 2012 Take Action Today award winners click here.