How To Get Involved With Green Service
Kids, Students and Educators
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights has developed the "Green-Collar Jobs Campaign Teaching Tools": a five-part series designed for use in high school classrooms. Ranging from one to three class periods in length, these interactive activities explore key themes of the Ella Baker Center's Green-Collar Jobs campaign, including: the green economy, eco-equity and eco-privilege, model cities, and restorative justice. Although the activities were designed with high school students in mind, they may be easily adapted for students of all ages.
Go Green Database: Students, teachers, administrators, and environmental activists have found ways to integrate knowledge and awareness of Earth's fragility into classwork and community service, carefully blending concern with action to help kids feel engaged and hopeful. The Go Green Database is a directory you can search by topic, grade level, cost, or location - and supplement with your contributions and comments.
Earthforce trains and supports educators. Through Earth Force young people get hands-on, real-world opportunities to practice civic skills, acquire and understand environmental knowledge, and develop the skills and motivation to address environmental issues.
In the pilot effort of the National Civic Education Project in Cincinnati, OH last year, students and educators convinced the Cincinnati School Board to adopt green building standards for a $1 billion state refurbishment bond for schools. Bring the National Civic Education Project to your school: www.earthday.net/programs/CEP_intro.aspx.
According to Richard Louv's new book Last Child in the Woods, we now spend approximately 90% of our time inside and this is having detrimental effects on our nation's children. A coalition of over 150 organizations is fighting decreases in recess time and the widespread development of "nature deficit disorder, seeking to make environmental education a national priority. The No Child Left Inside Coalition has created a legislative platform along with 11 Senate and 36 House cosponsors to reform the No Child Left Behind Act to include environmental education standards. To learn more about environmental education, the coalition, or what you can do to promote environmental literacy, visit the coalition's website.
Calculate your carbon footprint and learn how to reduce it at rprogress.org/education/footprint_education.htm.
Some ideas for environmental community service projects on the site of the Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/education/teens/resources.htm
Has your college signed on to the Campus Climate Challenge? If not, take action with campusclimatechallenge.org
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Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement: This organization has a Senior Environment Corps (SEC) in every state: http://www.easi.org/
Full-time Service
Want to give a year for national service to the environment?
Check out www.corpsnetwork.org to locate a service and conservation corps in the state of your choice. The Corps Network offers both AmeriCorps and non-AmeriCorps options for full-time service.
Consider becoming an AmeriCorps volunteer. AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers create and expand programs aimed at bringing people out of poverty, some with an environmental justice focus. Other AmeriCorps programs offer environmental work. You may need to do some digging, but the opportunities are out there. Register yourself with AmeriCorps and then check out the potential placement opportunities.
Does your city not yet have a service and conservation corps? Check out www.corpsnetwork.org for information on starting a corps.
Events , Casual Volunteering, and Other
Volunteer on Earth Day: find or propose actions on earthday.net
Find events, volunteer opportunities by keyword at handsonnetwork.org and Volunteermatch.org.
A compilation of environmental service organizations offering domestic and international opportunities: serveyourplanet.org
