Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) is pleased to announce that a team of Danbury teachers from Western Connecticut Academy for International Studies (AIS) and South Street School will attend its 2016 Summer Institute for Sustainability Education thanks to a generous scholarship offered by the Praxair Global Giving Program. CELF’s Institute provides Education for Sustainability for K‐12 teachers and will take place at Manhattanville College on July 18-‐21.
Designed to help educators seamlessly integrate Education for Sustainability (EfS) practices into existing curriculum across all subject areas, the professional development workshop is one of many programs developed and run by Chappaqua, NY-‐based CELF, an award-winning not-for-profit organization.
AIS principal, Helena Nitowsky is concerned about the public’s preparedness to handle the environmental responsibilities of the future. She explains, “At AIS we work to develop students’ environmental literacy skills so that they can better understand sustainability issues in our community and our world. We are so grateful to be able to send teachers to the CELF Summer Institute this year and so appreciate the financial assistance from Praxair.
Katie Ginsberg, CELF’s Executive Director, is thrilled to continue CELF’s relationship with Praxair for the 4th year, “As educators, we have an obligation to prepare students today for the social, economic and environmental challenges that lie ahead. Teachers who participate in our Summer Institute come away with a renewed sense of purpose and with innovative strategies to prepare students to tackle 21st century problems. We are delighted that Praxair is supporting this opportunity for Danbury teachers this summer.”
“CELF has a unique approach that uses concepts of sustainability to teach systems thinking, builds this into K-‐12 curricula and develops leaders for tomorrow,” said Dr. Riva Krut, Praxair chief sustainability officer. “We are thrilled to be able to support them through the Praxair Global Giving Program.”
CELF’s mission is to make Education for Sustainability (EfS) an integral part of every school’s curricula and culture – from kindergarten through high school – to prepare current and future students to be active and responsible citizens of a sustainable world.
CELF was founded based on the vision of a citizenry with a deep understanding of the dynamic interdependencies between human and natural systems and the critical role education plays in establishing a healthy and equitable future. Since 2003, CELF has worked with public and independent schools from across the country, delivering programs that respond to the wide range of specific educational needs of urban, suburban and rural schools. Awarded with membership in the Clinton Global Initiative in 2012, CELF’s work with New York City Public Schools has been recognized as a CGI Commitment to Action project.
CELF Summer Institute participants are eligible for in‐service credits, or graduate credits from the Manhattanville College School of Education. Regular tuition for the Summer Institute is $395 for 3 days, plus $55 for the optional 4th day. Discounts are available for teams of 3 or more teachers from the same school. For more information about CELF and the CELF Summer Institute, go to www.celfeducation.org.
About The Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF):
Founded in 2003 and based in Chappaqua, NY, CELF was created to promote awareness of the importance of sustainability education and to help schools and school districts make sustainability an ongoing part of education. To achieve this, CELF provides consulting services for schools and school districts, training for teachers and administrators and sustainability education programs for students. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, CELF works with all kinds of schools—urban, suburban and rural, public and private. For more information, go to www.celfeducation.org.