COY18 UAE: The 18th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth

The 18th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY18) is set to take place prior to this year's UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. COY18 will occur from November 26th through 28th.

COY18 is organized by YOUNGO, the Children and Youth constituency to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Organized by youth and for youth around the globe, the COY conferences provide a space for young people around the world to raise their demands as well as amplify youth voices during UN Climate Change negotiations.

YOUNGO has officially released this year's Global Youth Statement. Children and youth from across the globe united their voices and perspectives to create the COP28 Global Youth Statement: Declaration for Climate Justice, outlining their demands and aspirations and calling on world leaders to take action on climate.

"COP28 is a moment of historic significance, and the Global Youth Statement represents young people's landmark call to action for world leaders to step up to the existential challenge. We are the last generation that can take decisive action to keep 1.5C within reach and keep the planet in a safe and just operating space for current and future generations. Young people around the world are poised to lead, and we are ready to stand together to combat the climate crisis. With the fate of our planet hanging in the balance, we urge world leaders to join us: together, let us take immediate, systematic, and radical action for climate justice." - YOUNGO Global Focal Points and YOUNGO Policy Team. 

Read the full COP28 Global Youth Statement: 

https://www.coy18uae.org/global-youth-statement

Watch this space for the latest updates on COY18: 

https://www.coy18uae.org/ 

Green Difference Award Spotlight: Dhanam Sivalingam

Congratulations to Dhanam Sivalingam, Principal of PSGR Krishnammal Nursery and Primary School, for winning the Most Comprehensive Green School Award! Under the direction of Dr. Sivalingam, PSGR Krishnammal Nursery and Primary School is leading the way in environmental education in India! PSGR Krishnammal Nursery and Primary School has instituted a number of programs to encourage environmental awareness and climate literacy among children and young adults. 

The school has created an eco-club called "Conserve What We Deserve," which aims to engage students in tree-planting initiatives, waste management, and environmental preservation. Building on these efforts, the school decided that the Sustainable Development Goals would be the theme of the 2022-2023 school year.

Check out the rest of our 2023 Green Difference Award winners here

We are excited to welcome Amari Sims to the Project Green Schools' National Youth Council!

National Youth Council students are difference-makers who are invited to participate in important regional, national, and world events. All students who are in grades 5-12 are eligible to take part in National Youth Council meetings. Learn more about joining National Youth Council here.

Meet the rest of our 2023 - 2024 student changemakers here!

USGBC's 2024 Best of Green Schools Awards: Apply by November 17th!

Our friends at the Center for Green Schools and Green Schools National Network have teamed up once again to present the Best of Green Schools Awards! 

The Best of Green Schools Awards celebrate the hard work being done—by people, schools, campuses and organizations—to push the green schools movement forward. 

The 2024 winners will be congratulated at the in-person 2024 Green Schools Conference, to be held March 5–7, 2024, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

If you or someone you know has made an impact in advancing green schools during the 2022–2023 school year, submit an award nomination!

Applications due by 11:59 pm EST on November 17th

To learn more and apply, please visit the U.S. Green Building Council. 

Prudential Emerging Visionary: Apply Now for a Chance to Win Up to $15,000!

Calling all young changemakers! Do you have a vision to transform your community – and the world – for the better? Apply today for Prudential Emerging Visionaries, a national recognition program celebrating young people like you – changemakers tackling financial and social barriers in their communities. 

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is accepting applications from young leaders aged 14-18 who demonstrate commitment to solving financial and societal challenges in their communities and beyond. Selected participants may qualify for up to $15,000 in awards, an all-expenses-paid trip with your parent or guardian to Prudential's headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, and coaching and skills development to help take your innovative solution to the next level.  

Applications are open now through November 2, 2023.

Learn more and apply here: https://www.changemakers.com/challenge/emergingvisionaries

Food Waste Resources & Toolkits

WWF Be a Food Waste Warrior

WWF has created great resources for teachers and students to learn about food waste and how to take action! 

They have provided toolkits with K-12 lessons, instructions for food waste audits, classroom posters, and more! 

Check out the library of resources here

Center for Green Schools Food Waste Toolkit

"Sharing the Table: A Roadmap to Reducing and Recovering Surplus Food in Schools" shares programs that can help school staff redirect food that was assembled for student meals but not eaten. Instead of being wasted, much of this type of surplus food can be given away for later consumption by students, their families and the community. 

K–12 schools have a unique standing in the wider food waste reduction conversation, due to the number of meals served every day and the position that schools hold in their communities. In the U.S. alone, an estimated $1.24 billion of food is wasted annually in schools.

Download the Sharing the Table Roadmap here

International Food Waste Coalition Do Good Save Food K-12 Curriculum

Do Good Save Food is a collaborative initiative between the IFWC and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. 

The project aims to reduce food loss and waste in schools by educating students and changing their everyday habits, measuring and reducing waste in canteens and kitchens, and by bringing together all players in the school catering value chain to drive down food waste and reassert the value of food.

Check out the curriculum here

This is Planet Ed Launches Early Years Climate Action Plan

Earlier this month, This is Planet Ed launched Flourishing Children, Healthy Communities, and a Stronger Nation: The U.S. Early Years Climate Action Plan. 

The Action Plan discusses opportunities to advance climate solutions and ensure healthy, resilient development for children.

The Action Plan outlines recommendations for policymakers at the federal, state, and local level, as well as early years providers, businesses, philanthropic funders, and researchers to work together to support young children and their families in a changing climate.

Check out the recommendations and full report here. 

Apply to Your State to Become a 2024 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School! 

Launched in 2011, the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools is a recognition award that honors public and private schools ranging from elementary, middle, and high schools to districts and postsecondary institutions. The Green Ribbon program honors schools and districts that are demonstrating leadership in three Pillars: 1) reducing environmental impact and costs; 2) improving health and wellness; and 3) offering effective environmental and sustainability education.

Deadlines vary by state. Applications for many states will close around the winter holidays.  

Apply to your state now to become a 2024 Green Ribbon School! 

EPA: Applications Open for 2024 President's Environmental Student and Teacher Awards

The U.S. EPA has announced that the EPA's Office of Environmental Education is requesting applications for the 2024 President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and the Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE).

Each year, these programs recognize the outstanding environmental stewardship and education efforts of students and teachers across the nation. 

For PEYA, EPA will select up to two winners in each of the agency's 10 regions: one regional winner for Grades K-5 and one regional winner for Grades 6–12. 

For PIAEE, up to two teachers from each of EPA's 10 regions, each from different states, will be selected to receive the award. Teachers will receive a presidential plaque and an award of up to $2,500 to be used to further professional development in environmental education. The winners' local education agencies will also receive awards of up to $2,500 to fund environmental educational activities and programs. 

Applications are due by Monday, January 15, 2024. 

To learn more and apply, please visit the EPA's website:

PEYA information and application

PIAEE information and application

Seaweed: Growing Underwater Forests to "Kelp" Our Planet | Conservation in the Classroom

WWF's latest Conservation in the Classroom session centers around one of the fastest-growing organisms on the planet: kelp! Bailey Moritz, Lead Specialist on Aquaculture, will walk through the interesting world of kelp, from its role in creating healthier ecosystems to being a healthy food choice. 

Join Bailey Moritz, WWF seaweed expert, as she walks through the beautiful biology of seaweed and the hopeful solutions kelp farms can bring to the ocean.

Suggested grade level: 4th-8th 

Tune in November 29th at 12:30 pm EST | 9:30 am PST

To learn more and register, please visit WWF's Conservation in the Classroom.

News: New Jersey Establishes Nation’s First Office of Climate Education

New Jersey has established its Office of Climate Education, the first of its kind in the United States. 

Building on the state’s legacy as a pioneer in climate change education, the Office of Climate Education aims to bolster climate literacy and environmental awareness among students and educators across the state. 

Read the full story on The Planetary Press

News: Aspiring chefs across Massachusetts hope to fill staffing shortages

"Dozens of culinary students from vocational schools across Massachusetts attended a culinary arts food show at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School on Wednesday.

The event was a rare opportunity for the students to soak up knowledge from some of the best chefs in the Bay State. Food shows are typically age-restricted, and Wednesday's event was believed to be the first food show in Massachusetts specifically for high school students."

Read the full story on Spectrum News 1

Calendar of Events/Days to Celebrate

November

• 1st: World Vegan Day
• 5th: World Tsunami Awareness Day
• 15th: America Recycles Day
• 24th: Buy Nothing Day (U.S.)
• 26th through 28th: 18th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY18)
• 30th through December 12th: UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28)

December

• 21st/22nd: Winter Solstice