2009 Michigan Energy Fair

The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA) is currently seeking proposals for workshop sessions to be presented at the 4th Annual Michigan Energy Fair, which will take place on the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama, Michigan. The three-day event will unite people from throughout Michigan and the Great Lakes region to learn about energy issues and sustainable living. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend educational workshops, meet vendors, eat local foods, and hear great live music. Presenters are encouraged to submit proposals for workshops on the following topics:

• Renewable Energy Technologies & Applications
• Energy Efficiency
• Biofuel Technology
• Sustainable Building and Green Building
• Recycling Applications
• Organic Farming and Gardening
• Climate Change
• Sustainable Living Practices
• Renewable Energy Jobs and Training
• Green Investing
• Renewable Energy Policy and Financing
• Energy and Sustainability Education

For more information, please contact Samantha Keeney at 800-434-9788 or info@glrea.org.
To be considered, proposals are due by 5:00 P.M. EST on April 24th, 2009.

July 7-10, 2009
*Done on home computer using internet connection.

ISS EarthKAM Summer 2009 Mission

Middle school educators are invited to join NASA for the International Space Station EarthKAM Summer 2009 Mission on July 7-10, 2009.  ISS EarthKAM is a NASA-sponsored project that provides stunning, high-quality photographs of Earth taken from the space shuttle and International Space Station. Since 1996, ISS EarthKAM students have taken thousands of photographs of Earth by using the World Wide Web to direct a digital camera on select spaceflights and, currently, on the International Space Station. 
 
For more information about the project and to register for the upcoming mission, visit the ISS EarthKAM Home Page at:
http://www.EarthKAM.ucsd.edu

If you have questions about the EarthKAM project, please e-mail
ek-help@earthkam.ucsd.edu

2009 Youth Policy Summit on Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Michigan

Forty students will conduct research during the spring semester and complete two papers, one on a research question and another on a stakeholder chosen by Keystone Science School. In July, participating students will gather on WMU campus and participate in online forums and discussions with students and experts on the topic. Students will be asked to negotiate consensus-based recommendations for the Governor, the state legislature, and Michigan's business and NGO sectors. For more information, contact Annemarie Fussell, afussell@keystone.orgor Susan Grammer, susan.grammer@wmich.edu. Keystone and WMU's Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE)

Keystone's Climate Status Investigations Teacher Training Program

This program takes place in conjunction with the Youth Policy Summit on Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Michigan. This training program provides educators with the training and tools to introduce the topic of global climate change to students with a non-biased, inquiry-based, interdisciplinary curriculum. For more information, contact Wendi Liles, wliles@keystone.org, or Susan Grammer, susan.grammer@wmich.edu.

July 13-18, 2009
Higgins Lake

Higgins Lake Summer Institute

Educators, youth leaders, university students and others interested in better understanding the relationship between humans and the environment have the opportunity to learn in the Higgins Lake Environmental School's one week summer course. For more information contact Dr. Maria Ferreira at (313) 577-0924.

July 19-24, 2009
Higgins Lake

DNR's Academy of Natural Resources

An opportunity for educators to learn about Michigan's natural resources, their management, and how both relate to the classroom.  The academy offers two options for attendees: natural resources curricula certification, and natural resources field camp.  For more information, and to register, follow the link above.

August 6, 2009
Port Huron High School, MI

21st Century Learning Symposium

Please consider attending on August 6th, 2009 at Port Huron High School to learn from national, state and local presenters who are successfully leading efforts to enhance learning with technology, Web 2.0, and online learning among other strategies. Among our presenters are: Will Richardson, Author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Tools for the Classroom; Dr. Bryan Setser, Executive Director, North Carolina Virtual School; and Elliott Soloway, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Dept. of EECS, College of Engineering, University of Michigan.
 
The "Learning to Change Changing to Learn" video (Pearson and CoSN) has been a conversation starter for our work. It can be found at:
http://www.pearsonfoundation.org/pg5.6.html.
 
They hope to provoke conversation around the goal of creating technology-rich environments where learners are prepared to be confident, creative problem solvers, and global citizens who care about their culture. Last year, over 300 people attended the first symposium.  We hope you will join us in the conversation this year.  For registration information, please visit: http://www.sccresa.org/calendars/

August 20, 2009
East Lansing, MI

Michigan Envirothon 2nd Annual Golf Outing

Help us raise funds for Michigan Envirothon!  Join us for a four – person golf scramble at the well - manicured Timber Ridge Golf Course in East Lansing.  Golf gear rental is available, and 18 holes will be played, riding carts provided.

Contact Svenja Drebes at 517-324-4421, mienvirothon@macd.org;  Michelle Mitchell at 989-791-5960, mlmitchell@cmsenergy.com

August 31, 2009
Photography Contest
Deadline

Calling All Shutterbugs!

The MWEA invites you to participate in a photo contest to highlight our water wonderland.  As many of you know, our very own Paul Freedman (MWEA Past President) is going to be assuming the presidency of the Water Environment Federation at WEFTEC in October.  The group planning his reception would like to use images of the Great Lakes and Michigan rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and wetlands to showcase the beauty of our state.  

Winners of the contest will be featured in the presentation at Paul Freedman's reception and in the MWEA Matters.  We ask that all photos submitted be in an electronic format (JPEG is preferred) and that the Application / Waiver Form be completed for eligibility. (Waiver form and application may be found at the bottom of this page.)   All photos need to be taken within the State of Michigan.  Please include a filename, description, the specific location, and the date of the picture. 

Submission deadline is August 31, 2009
If you have any questions, please call the MWEA Office at 517-641-7377.

September 25, 2009
Detroit

greenUP Michigan Green Chemistry Conference
Leading experts in the fields of technology, chemistry, engineering, and business process improvement come together in this event, initiated by Governor Granholm.  Designed to empower Michigan business owners to move toward sustaining green processes and practices, this conference will impact the health of our state.

MAEOE Conference: Environmental Education in the Urban Environment

Opportunities at the conference will include: strategies for meeting the GLCEs in outdoor learning environments, finding accessible natural areas near your school, and reviewing Leave No Child Inside environmental education resources and grants. For more information, contact: Mike Mansour at mmansour001@comcast.net

October 19, 2009
Three Rivers, Michigan

Teaching with Nature: Curing Nature Deficit Disorder

This conference is to help teachers in both Indiana and Michigan learn about new methods to inspire students to learn about and enjoy nature.  Participants will be attending 4 workshops and will receive a free reusable tote bag. If you are interested in participating, please call (269) 244-5125 for more information.