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Green Partners provides updates about environmental education resources, tools, programs, grants and events to our environmental education partners.
Hennepin County has the following free environmental education resources available to partners.
Hennepin County Environmental Education & Outreach Team
Angie Timmons
Alisa Reckinger
Angie Ziobro
Christina Schmitt
Mary Karius
Patience Caso
Please forward this email to interested individuals and encourage them to sign up.
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School recycling grants
 Know a school that could use a boost to start or improve their recycling program? Hennepin County has funding available to public and non-public, K – 12 schools for projects that implement or improve recycling and organics recycling programs. Check out our updated Best Practices Guide for Organics Recycling in Schools for ideas for how to start organics recycling. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on February 27.
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Business recycling grants
 Funding is available to businesses, organizations and institutions to start or improve recycling and organics recycling programs. Funding can help with the purchase of recycling containers, equipment and hauling services and minor improvements to loading docks and waste enclosures. Applications are due on March 15. For more information, contact Andre Xiong at andre.x.xiong@hennepin.us or 612-543-1316.
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Waste reduction education grants
Funding is available through the Community POWER program for projects that educate and actively engage residents in the Twin Cities to change their behavior to reduce waste. Non-profit organizations and schools are eligible to apply. Applications are due on March 27. For more information, email communitypower@rethinkrecycling.com.
Schoolyard garden grants
 Elementary schools interested in starting a schoolyard garden can get a $500 grant to help cover start-up costs through the Jeffers Foundation's "A Garden 4 Every School" program. The Jeffers Foundation will be awarding grants to 20 elementary schools for the 2015 - 2016 school year. Applications are due by March 7. Learn more and apply.
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Green Partners environmental education grants
 Hennepin County recently awarded 11 grants to organizations to implement projects that will engage and empower residents to take action to protect the environment through the Green Partners Environmental Education program. The grants will engage more than 3,800 residents in reducing waste, toxicity and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing recycling, and protecting water. Many of the projects will work with youth and hard-to-reach audiences. Learn more about the grants awarded.
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Recycling and environmental protection grants
Hennepin County recently awarded 65 grants totaling more than $500,000 to businesses, cities, organizations and other partners throughout the county for a variety of projects that will protect and preserve the environment.
Grants awarded include:
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Natural resources grants for four projects to preserve, protect or improve natural resources and water quality.
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Public space recycling grants for eight projects to improve recycling in parks, recreation centers, along business districts and in other public places
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Recycling grants to 42 businesses and organizations to start or improve recycling programs or begin organics recycling.
Get field trip transportation
Order project supplies
Hennepin County also provides free activity supplies to engage people in environmental education activities. Available supplies include spray bottles to make homemade, green cleaners, reusable bags and reflective pant protectors to encourage biking and walking. Order supplies and learn more.
Assess water quality with River Watch
 Get your hands dirty and feet wet this spring with River Watch, a stream monitoring program for school classes and youth groups. The program provides a hands-on opportunity to learn about assessing water quality and how our actions influence the health of local lakes, rivers and streams. Learn about program participants and results in the 2014 River Watch report.
If you are interested in getting your class or group involved with River Watch, contact Mary Karius at mary.karius@hennepin.us or 612-596-9129.
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Test your knowledge with Envirothon
 On May 7, teams of high school and junior high school students will compete in the 21st annual Metro Area Envirothon, a problem-solving natural resources competition that tests students’ knowledge of aquatics, forestry, soils and wildlife. During the event, teams of five students complete hands-on activities and give presentations on current environmental issues. The top three teams from the metro competition advance to the state Envirothon.
Hennepin County has funding available to cover registration and transportation fees for teams. For more information, contact Stacey Lijewski at stacey.lijewski@hennepin.us or 612-348-9938.
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Green Partners networking meeting on youth engagement
 Learn about strategies for engaging youth in environmental education at the next Green Partners Networking Meeting on Tuesday, February 24 from 10 a.m. to noon (optional networking from noon to 1 p.m.) at the St. Louis Park Library.
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The meeting will include:
- A presentation on Hennepin County’s youth engagement strategy.
- A panel discussion on youth engagement featuring staff from Hennepin County’s River Watch program, the Boys & Girls Club Voyageur Environmental Center and Spark Youth Action Labs.
- The opportunity to network with fellow environmental educators.
Networking meetings are open to the public and light refreshments will be provided. For more information and to RSVP, contact Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.
Hennepin Natural Resources Partnership meetings
Hennepin County recently started the Hennepin County Natural Resources Partnership to provide a forum for a more holistic and collaborative approach to managing and protecting our land and water. Everyone is welcome to attend, especially those from cities, watersheds, agencies and organizations involved with or interested in natural resources management and protection. The next meeting is on March 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Ridgedale Library. RSVP to Stacey Lijewski at stacey.lijewski@hennepin.us or 612-348-9938.
Spring Into Green resource fair
 Planning an event for Earth Day or another time this spring or summer? Gather resources and tools to use at your event at the Spring Into Green Resource and Craft Fair on Saturday, March 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will provide ideas on how to educate your community about environmental topics such as energy, transportation, waste and more.
Stop by the Hennepin County table to pick up or order literature, learning trunks, supplies and more for your upcoming events.
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Fix-It Clinics
 Fix-It Clinics provide residents an opportunity to receive free, guided assistance from volunteers on disassembling, troubleshooting and repairing small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more. Fix-It Clinics teach valuable repair skills, build community connections and reduce the number of repairable objects that are thrown in the trash.
Upcoming Fix-It Clinics are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
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- Saturday, March 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Pearl Park Recreation Center in Minneapolis
- Saturday, April 18 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Brookdale Library in Brooklyn Center
- Saturday, May 9 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Southdale Library in Edina
For more information or to volunteer, contact Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195.
Schoolyard gardens conference
February 27 and 28 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Learn innovative strategies for building, sustaining, and engaging everyone in a thriving schoolyard garden. Workshop topics include curriculum connections, horticulture best practices, resources, program sustainability and innovative case studies. Learn more and register.
Motivating sustainable behavior change workshop
Social and environmental psychologist Doug McKenzie-Mohr, author of Fostering Sustainable Behavior, will be providing introductory and advanced community-based social marketing training in St. Paul on June 8 – 11, 2015. The workshops will provide a framework for planning and implementing programs that use strategies from social psychology research to motivate people to take action and change their behaviors to protect the environment. Early-bird pricing for registration ends on February 27.
Northeast Tool Library tool donation drive
 The Northeast Minneapolis Tool Library is a new community organization opening in May 2015 to encourage sharing and reuse by providing Minneapolis residents low-cost access to home tools. Donate your used home improvement tools at their donation drive on February 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Thorp Building on Central Avenue. Learn more on Facebook or call 971-222-9118.
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Green yard and rain garden workshops
 Learn about simple changes you can make in the way you take care of your yard that will help keep our lakes, rivers and streams clean at an upcoming Metro Blooms workshop. The three-hour workshop will cover a variety of green yard care practices, including proper use of fertilizers, composting of yard waste, keeping sidewalks ice free, and capturing and reusing rain water onsite.
Workshops are scheduled February through June at locations throughout the county, including in Bloomington, Champlin, Minneapolis and Plymouth.
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The following projects are being funded through the Green Partners Environmental Education Program. For more information about Green Partners grants, contact Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.
Kaleidoscope Place students share their waste reduction and recycling knowledge
 Students from Kaleidoscope Place, an after school youth development program, spent the year learning about recycling and renewable resources. Youth worked to improve recycling in their building by educating community members, engaging building staff in recycling improvements and creating art out of reusable materials.
The students created a video documenting what they have learned. Each student had a role in the film, whether it was a news anchor, field reporter, talk show host, dancer, or camera and film crew. The students interviewed Green Partners’ Grant Manager, Patience Caso, fellow students and staff at the schools they attend to record and report the percentage of people that recycle in their community. Learn more about their Green Partners project.
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Eden Prairie Early Childhood Center incorporates environmental activities into Winter Blast event
Children and parents enjoyed a variety of environmental activities during the 2015 Eden Prairie Early Childhood Family Education Winter Blast on January 24. Families were able to tour the school, meet teachers, visit Hennepin County’s Going Green table and participate in making a recycled-paper chain counting down the days until Earth Day on April 22.
Noble Academy holds first “Go Green” curriculum night
Noble Academy hosted their first “Go Green” curriculum night where families could visit the school, meet teachers and learn about their student’s work. On display were more than 700 posters created by students on an environmental theme of their choosing and samples of recyclable items and recycled products, such as clothing and building materials made from plastic bottles. Families were asked to donate old clothing and swap for new-to-them used clothing donated by other families. Youth also created and participated in a lively recycling sorting toss games led by the school’s Green Team members.
Articles from Rethink Recycling
Rethink Recycling develops monthly newsletter articles and social media posts on recycling topics for partners to use. See the articles available, and view the 2015 topics calendar for the list of articles that will be written this year.
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