Volume 11 | Issue 3
Green Schools Challenge
And we're off...

Dream in Green has officially kicked off its 17th year of the Green Schools Challenge! We have hosted 2 professional developments for teachers and they have returned to their classrooms to begin their implementation of the program. Keep reading to see how you can join our next PD. Student teams have begun to make their green pledges!


Gain access to environmental curriculum, teacher PDs, mini grants, staff support, and district/State aligned priorities/standards.
2023-2024 Partners

Through the Green Schools Challenge, DIG partners with various organizations both at a local and national level to create lessons, provide resources, and plan special events and workshops for students. To learn more about some of our amazing partners watch this video.
Professional Development Workshop
Saturday, September 16, 20223

Dream in Green will be hosting a virtual PD for teachers that are enrolled or interested in becoming part of the Green Schools Challenge. Teachers will be introduced to the program, learn how to incorporate the program, and learn about updates to curriculum and additional special opportunities. MDCPS teachers will receive master plan points for attending and can register through Frontline. Broward, Palm Beach, and private teachers can register here.
Articles
Not sure how to navigate the complex and controversial aspects of climate change? Use this resource to help foster an open dialogue with students. Read more at Controversy in the Classroom: Strategies for managing climate change discourse.

Climate activism has transcended the scientific community into one more rooted in the arts. Over the years, various artists have used art to express the issues of climate change including human impacts and reusing and recycling resources. Read more about this movement and how Dream in Green has incorporated the arts into its programming at Art as a Means of Climate Activism and Engagement.
Events
International Coastal Cleanup engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways. Thanks to millions of volunteers around the world, the ICC has become a beacon of hope, leading and inspiring action in support of our ocean. Since its beginning, more than 17 million volunteers have collected more than 350 million pounds of trash. Find a cleanup near you!

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, this celebration brings out thousands of volunteers to help restore and improve public lands around the country. NPLD is also a Fee-Free Day, one of only five days a year when entrance fees are waived at national parks and other public lands. Find resources for registering an NPLD event, tips for hosting an in-person or virtual event, a map for locating NPLD events near you, and so much more. 
DIG Team - Environmental Leaders
Alondra Padilla has joined Dream in Green for Fall 2023 as our Digital Marketing, Outreach, and Communications Intern, all while finishing her undergraduate studies at the University of Miami. Originally from the city of Chicago, Alondra had experience doing environmental outreach work with Shedd Aquarium before coming down to Miami in 2019. Since then, she has expanded outside of her Marine Science and Biology studies and has taken journalism, media, and design courses as well.
Because of Alondra’s background and experience, she will help manage DIG’s social media accounts to increase our interactions with the Miami-Dade and Broward community, as well as help facilitate Dream in Green’s programs and workshops.
Merushe is a sociologist, human rights enthusiast and climate justice advocate from Albania joining the Dream in Green team as part of the Community Solutions Program, a professional leadership development program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. She is engaged with several organizations in her home country and on May 2023 she was elected a council member of the European Community-Led Initiatives on Climate Change and Sustainability. As a CSP fellow, Merushe will be engaged in implementation and dissemination of DIG schools' program in local schools, create resources for themes, lessons and events as well as participate in grant-proposal writing. 
Thanking Our Sponsors
Dream in Green | www.dreamingreen.org