Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. No doubt, plenty of schools around the country have come up with creative ways to celebrate, and turn this occasion into a teachable moment. Two weeks ago, I posted a blog item with some resources I came across.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will speak at an Earth Day ceremony on the National Mall at 5:30 p.m. today. I got a sneak preview of his prepared remarks, in which he’s going to announce a “Summit on Education for a Green Economy” in September, though it’s apparently geared more toward higher education than the K-12 arena.
“The central goal of the summit is to define the role of schools in the transition to a green economy,” Secretary Duncan says in the prepared remarks. “All schools have a role to play, particularly colleges and universities.”
He adds: “The summit will bring together leaders from higher education, business and industry, labor, government, and NGOs to build shared visions and strategies for education’s role in building a sustainable and green economy.”
Duncan also is going to emphasize in his speech today how Earth Day has turned into a powerful occasion for teaching and learning.
“That’s why it’s one of the most successful public education campaigns,” he says. “We live our lives differently because of the lessons we’ve learned on Earth Day.”
Photo Credit: NASA (from Apollo 17)