Learn and Serve Information:

• Summer is a time for fun – but it is also the time when many youth lose what they learned during the school year and gain unhealthy eating habits.
• Our youth are our greatest assets, and ensuring they are on the path to success is our objective
• We are offering a special Service Learning project where teens can have a leadership role in addressing childhood obesity
• Allows teens to give back to community and learn new things at the same time
• Activities include:

1. Work with elementary and middle school students in our year round elementary schools and summer camps
2. Provide fun summer activities that promote fitness and healthy eating
3. Provide families with cooking classes on how to prepare healthy food
4. Develop resource materials for students and families about making healthy choices
5. Create YouTube videos, a traveling art exhibit, presentations, photo journal your experiences through an online blog
6. Learn about the fresh and local food movement by working with growers, distributing food through the Sandhills Farm to Table Coop
7. Set up a bicycle powered generator to make Fruit Smoothies

How does it work?

• Each week has a specific theme and service times.
• Can complete 1 week or all of the summer program to receive credit
• In a week, student needs to complete 2 Learning + 1 Service Activity for 5 ½ hours total and will receive a $15 gas card
• 5 ½ hours in a week is the average time investment
• Further info about national program http://www.servicelearning.org/

Check out what’s happening at your school’s FirstSchool Garden!

Download our schedule – April in the Garden

1) Ask mom for green school supplies. Going back to school and going green can go hand in hand! Kids can get green school supplies that will make a difference at prices that will make mom happy. Your green school supplies also provide an opportunity to share your thoughts on the environment with other students and teachers who notice that they are a little different.

**Want to take your green routine to the next level? Use a printing company with solid green printing practices to produce your reports and projects. **

2) Walk, carpool, or take the bus to school. Less carbon emissions and less smog comes from less burned fuel. We have to use gasoline to run most of today’s cars – so, let’s use as little of it as we can! When you share a ride with others, it means fewer people have to use gas, and when you walk or bike there is no fuel burned at all…except maybe your breakfast

3) Turn off the water while showering and brushing teeth. Most people let the water run while soaping up or brushing, but that wastes water. Run the water to get your towel and body or toothbrush wet, and then wash or brush with the water off. It saves water AND time because you end up focusing on getting clean and getting out of there!

4) Start an organic garden at school and create compost for it. It’s a large undertaking, but if you can get your science teacher behind you, it’s very likely that your principal will allow you to start an organic garden of some kind and a compost heap to fertilize it. Learn about composting for kids, and get your science teacher to help you learn about gardening.

5) Turn off lights and appliances/electronics when not in use. Kids who aren’t environmentally conscious don’t usually think about turning off lights and appliances because kids in general aren’t cost conscious. That means kids waste stuff. (Don’t worry – your parents did it when they were kids, too.) Kids who reduce, reuse, and recycle know that wastefulness is not good, and one thing they do not waste is energy. Although cleaner energy is becoming more common, no energy should be wasted. When you’re not using lights or appliances/electronics (TV, computer, video games, etc.) TURN THEM OFF! Let mom and dad unplug them from the outlets as they see fit for safety.

6) If parents recycle, allow kids to sort. The family that recycles together stays together! If mom and dad recycle, ask them if you can sort if you already don’t. Sometimes parents don’t realize how much you care. Going green is a lifestyle, so get in on the day-today activities by doing your part.

7) Volunteer with community organizations that plant trees. Trees help us enjoy cleaner air and more beautiful landscapes. Get help finding organizations where you live who plant trees, and then volunteer to help! The Arbor Day Foundation is a good place to start if you need help locating a group in your local area.

Hand-wash dishes or only run the dishwasher for full loads. Most people don’t realize it, but dishwashers use considerably more water to wash a load of dishes than the traditional sink method does. A LOT MORE. So, to conserve water, it’s best not to use the dishwasher at all. If you do, use eco-friendly dishwashing detergent and only run the washer when it is completely full. If it’s not full or if you can, choose to wash dishes in the sink instead, of course, with eco-friendly dishwashing liquid.

9) Reduce waste by curbing use of disposables. It’s easy to use throwaway cups, plates, wrappers, and utensils, but it only creates more waste for landfills. Also, disposable paper products like facial and bathroom tissue and paper towels and napkins also end up in the trash. We can save more trees by using less paper products, and we can keep more plastics and Styrofoam out of the landfills by using less throwaway utensils and containers. Also, eating less often at fast-food restaurants cuts down on your usage of these items, too.

When you have to use them, use less. When you don’t have to use them, DON’T.

10) Ease up on the video games. Playing video games on both computers and systems uses a LOT of energy! That’s why your system or computer feels hot afterwards! You can save on energy by simply doing homework or going outside to play instead of posting up in front of the TV or computer screen. This activity uses more electricity than regular TV or computer usage, so it should be kept to a minimum.

A Few More Tips From National Geographic…

It’s easy to protect the planet! These tips help save limited resources such as water and energy. So get green and give the tips a try. Make sure to ask your parents before trying any of these tips!

• Choose locally grown food. Transporting food long distances wastes fuel and creates extra CO2.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
• Send an e-card instead of a paper card.
• Say “No bag, thank you.” Whether you’re buying toys, snacks, or clothes, tell the checkout person you don’t need a bag. By carrying your own reusable fabric bag, you’ll help reduce the estimated 100 million plastic bags that each year clog sewers, entangle birds, and get swallowed by whales, sea turtles, and other wildlife.
• Scrape leftovers off the dishes instead of rinsing them.  (Wash the dishes soon after.)
• Take short showers instead of baths. Aim for five minutes—but still get clean!

Want some good news today? How about this: YOU can have a positive impact on our environment every single day! Read on for a few tips on how you can weave green into your days and check out our resource section to connect with other organizations that can take you even further.

Everyday Green Tips

• Choose veggies to save some serious water! On average, it takes 30 gallons of water to produce a pound of potatoes, but it can take between 2,500 and 5,000 gallons for a pound of beef.
• Make your daily caffeine fix green! Support birds, wildlife and small farmers by purchasing shade-grown, fair-trade-certified coffee at the local grocery store. Don’t see it? Ask the manager if they’ll consider stocking some.
• Cat lovers can go green with litters made from renewable, biodegradable ingredients such as recycled newsprint. Some products cost the same as conventional strip-mined clay litters, but without the environmental impacts.
• Choose toilet paper, tissue and paper towel brands made from recycled paper. Many common brands use fiber from old-growth boreal trees from Canada that will take hundreds of years to regenerate.

Save Money

• You don’t have to break the bank going green. Instead of purchasing new green cleaners, dig around in your cabinets. Diluted vinegar is a perfect surface and glass cleaner, and borax or baking soda will scrub away grease stains or clean tubs and tiles. No chemicals means no gloves needed, either!
• Clean your dryer’s lint filter to improve its energy efficiency by up to 30 percent.
• Did you know there’s a free typeface called Ecofont that can cut your printer’s ink consumption by 20 percent? Download it today and start saving!
• Buy refurbished ink cartridges and electronics instead of brand-new gear. Reduce e-waste and enjoy great quality while you save a buck: In addition to the half-price cost, many refurbished products have to meet rigorous standards before they can go on store shelves.
• Cut the grass – and we mean cut it out. Lawns consume tremendous amounts of water, pesticides and fossil fuels (from mowers and fertilizers). Replace the turf with native clovers, mosses, or other native ground covers for a drought-resistant, wildlife-friendly yard that also benefits your wallet.
• Why purchase gift wrap when it’s just going to be torn up and thrown in the trash? Instead, wrap your presents in old magazines, newspaper cartoons, or paper bags adorned with rubber stamp decorations.
• Looking to save water – and money – in the bathroom? In addition to installing low-flow water fixtures, place a bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water your toilet uses when you flush.
• Enjoy electricity-free evenings. Turn off lights and unplug laptop and cell phone chargers so you can take a stroll at dusk, watch the sunset from your porch, or listen to the sounds of the city while your home grows dark. It’s a quiet, refreshing way to spend the twilight hours.
• An idling vehicle is one of the worst gas-wasters on the road. Turn off the engine when your car is idling for more than 30 seconds and be a bit greener whenever you’re stuck in traffic, waiting in the drive-through, or backed up during a bridge lift.

From Kitchen to Closet

• Cut down on packaging at the grocery store. Buy dry foods from bulk bins and reuse bags when you restock. Consider skipping produce bags: A quick wash at home will clean the food, and a small stash of plastic bags can be reused to keep greens moist in the fridge.
• Bring a glass food container and canvas tote bag to carry home any leftovers from your favorite restaurant, and just say “No thanks!” to Styrofoam cartons and plastic bags.
• Each year, 25 million trees become the world’s supply of disposable chopsticks. Bring your own reusable chopsticks to restaurants and say “No thanks” to disposables with your takeout.
• Need new threads? Organize a gently used clothes swap with friends, neighbors and coworkers, or frequent the many secondhand and consignment stores that offer top-notch clothes at bargain-basement prices.
• Making a big move? You can hire a green moving company to do the legwork with reusable boxes, trucks that runs on biodiesel and other sustainable business practices. An internet search for “green movers” should turn up options in your area.

Green Resources

• Visit Sierra Club Green Home for simple explanations for why certain choices are better than others. You can also watch how-to videos, calculate your carbon footprint and determine if you have a truly healthy home.
• Check out earth911.com for guidance in recycling your old junk where you live.
• Find a local farmers market or a farm that offers community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs.
• Learn more about the positive impacts your choices can make and take eco-challenges with Center for New American Dream.

Read more: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/3139.html#save_money#ixzz0lVnsm9ge
Read more: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/3139.html#save_money#ixzz0lVnsn9Ze

Looking for more details? Download our flyer – Lessons from the School Yard Workshop

February 12, 2010-Pinehurst, NC— Communities In Schools (CIS) FirstSchool Gardens will be hosting a complimentary workshop series for adults called “Lessons from the Schoolyard”.

“Following three years of success teaching children in school gardens throughout Moore County, we created these free workshops specifically for adults who would like to learn more about vegetable and fruit gardening and healthy eating,” said Kathy Byron, CIS FirstSchool Garden Program Director, “ We have had so many requests from parents who were excited about  what their children were learning in our school-based programs and they  wanted to learn more themselves so they could create their own gardens at home.”

The first in the series will take place February 18, 2010 and will focus on “How PTA/PTOs and Parents can influence the Health and Academic Success of Students through School Gardens”.  This workshop will be held at the Moore County Cooperative Extension office in Carthage from 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  The workshop will be presented by Wake-Med’s Advocates for Health in Action, and will include an overview of the CIS FirstSchool Garden program, as well.

Six shorter workshops in the series will be hosted at CIS FirstSchool Gardens throughout Moore County.

The week of March 1, 2010, a workshop entitled “The Ground Rules of Vegetable Gardening” will cover key information on how to grow vegetables successfully in the Sandhills, including the use of raised beds, soil amendments, what and when to plant and much more.

This workshop will take place Monday March 1 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Academy Heights Elementary School; Tuesday March 2 from 1:30-2:30 p.m.at Southern Pines Elementary School; Wednesday March 3 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Vass Lakeview Elementary School; Thursday March 4 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Pinehurst Elementary School and Friday March 5 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Aberdeen Elementary School.

“Because of extreme heat and sandy soil, vegetable gardening in the Sandhills can be scary for many people, and yet they see how bountiful the school gardens are,” explained Bruce Fensley, the Master Gardener who will be leading this workshop,” With some basic planning, knowledge and even just a small amount of space, a home vegetable garden can be just a productive as our school gardens.”

The third workshop in the series will explore what it takes to maintain an organic vegetable garden.  This workshop will take place Tuesday March 16 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at the Aberdeen Recreation Center on US 1 and will be presented by Taylor Williams, Moore County Agricultural Agent.

“All of the CIS FirstSchool gardens are managed without the use of chemicals and are absolutely prolific.  Many people find it hard to believe that this can be done easily and effectively, and as a result, they turn to expensive chemical solutions,” says Byron,” In this workshop we want to share how we accomplish this amazing growth in the school gardens using strictly organic approaches.  It is not that hard or expensive.”

If cooking with vegetables is more your interest, then the Fourth workshop in the series may be a perfect fit for you.  Melissa Watford from FirstHealth Community Health Services will be giving an introduction to the nationally recognized cooking program “The Happy Kitchen/La Concina Alegra” on Tuesday March 30 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Southern Pines Elementary; Wednesday March 31 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. at Vass Lakeview and on Thursday April 1 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Aberdeen Elementary School.

Watford will also create a healthy soda using a recipe that can be duplicated at home.

“A happy kitchen can be a healthy kitchen.” Byron pointed out,” Cooking healthy foods sounds like it would be expensive and not a fun as eating out, but we find that the students in our school garden programs gobble up the healthy vegetables that we cook in their classrooms.  This is something that is easy to do in your own home and fun to do with your children.”

Two more workshops with a cooking focus will be held in April of this year and are perfectly timed with our Sandhills planting season.

“We will run a workshop the week of April 12 covering Cooking with Seasonal Garden vegetables and fruits, followed by a workshop the week of April 26 focusing on Healthy Cooking with Kids.” said Byron, “You will want to save the dates for these classes and bring a good appetite since we will be tasting some of our most popular recipes from the school gardens.”

For more information on these workshops or on the CIS FirstSchool Gardens you can call 910-295-1072 or visit the CIS website at www.cismoore.org.

Communities In Schools (CIS) serves 2500 Moore County students though its programs focusing on helping kids stay in school and prepare for life.  Now in its third year, the CIS FirstSchool Gardens provide a foundation for healthy eating and lifestyles at Moore County Schools, including Aberdeen Elementary School, Academy Heights Elementary School, Southern Pine Elementary School, Pinecrest High School, Pinehurst Elementary School, Aberdeen Primary School and Vass Lakeview Elementary School.