Green Education Foundation (GEF) To Host K-8 Student "Green Fair" At 2011 Annual Naesp Convention

Thanks to the support of Samsung Mobile and Sprint Nextel, this year's new Green Fair highlights sustainability education as a successful platform for multi-disciplinary learning. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) April 02, 2011 - Tampa, FL - Green Education Foundation (GEF) today announced that this year's NAESP Annual Convention and Exposition will host a Green Fair within the new Green Schools Pavilion on Saturday, April 9 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. for local elementary school students from the Dowdell Middle Magnet School in Tampa, Florida. Thanks to a generous donation from Samsung Mobile Telecommunications and Sprint Nextel, two organizations actively committed to education and environmental sustainability, students will get a first-hand look at the fun of environmental sustainability as they build and race solar race cars, create "art" from recyclable materials, and more at this year's Green Fair.

"It is always wonderful to involve students in our events," said NAESP Executive Director Gail Connelly. "I am excited to provide principals with the opportunity to discover models for 21st century learning and to witness students participating in these creative experiential learning activities."

This year's NAESP exhibit hall features the first-ever Green Schools Pavilion, where non-profit organizations will showcase their efforts and activities that continue to help our nation's schools "go green" - from offering advice on waste strategies, to sustainability curriculum and green building. As part of the new Green Schools Pavilion, the Green Fair will provide a valuable opportunity for principles and educators to see first-hand the effectiveness of sustainability education as a hands-on, integrative learning model that helps build 21st century skills, and showcases the role today's students can play in helping to protect and conserve the environment.

Green Fair activities will include:
Racing Solar Cars: Renewable energy concepts come to life as students build solar cars and race them against one another learning first-hand the powerful benefits of renewable energy
Green Keepers Pledge: NAESP attendees join students in their promise to reduce, reuse, and recycle, by signing the students Green Keepers Pledge to protect the earth
Recycling Relay Race: Students will race relay style to sort a bucket full of clean recyclables - the first team to properly sort them wins!
Recycled Paper Art: Reuse takes on a whole new meaning when students work together to create a masterpiece mosaic from recycled paper

The Dowdell Middle Magnet School offers an integrated Environmental Studies focus to its 600 plus students, highlighting environmental issues and what students can do to make a positive impact and protect the world around them.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Dowdell Middle Magnet School students to our Green Fair", commented Victoria Waters, GEF's President, "the activities not only highlight the multi-disciplinary educational benefits of sustainability but also show NAESP attendees real-life examples of how engaging these lessons and activities can be for students."

The Green Fair is presented through the generous support of Samsung Mobile and Sprint Nextel. Sprint is committed to building excellence in education by creating and supporting programs that increase and improve student achievement, family involvement and educator development. In 2010, Sprint, through its philanthropic arm, the Sprint Foundation, contributed more than $1.1 million to education programs.

At Sprint, environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility are part of a long-term, strategic approach in which business opportunities operate in sync with social, economic and environmental responsibilities. Sprint's leadership in environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility continues to receive recognition, including recognition as the highest ranked U.S. telecom company, at No. 6 on Newsweek's 2010 Rankings of America's 500 Greenest Companies. Samsung takes pride in its long-standing commitment to the environment. The Samsung Mobile Take Back program allows consumers to send in their cell phones, free of charge, to be properly disposed of. Samsung Mobile supports Samsung's overall Eco-Management 2013 Plan announced in July 2009.

In addition, thanks to Samsung Mobile and Sprint, all NAESP conference attendees will receive complimentary access to GEF's new Sustainability Education Teaching Methods course. The 10-hour online course provides teachers with the knowledge and resources necessary to integrate sustainability education into their curriculum.

For more information about NAESP's annual convention, visit www.naesp.org/2011.

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