For Immediate Release

Edutopia.org Launches Comprehensive Database of the Best and Brightest Green Resources for Schools

Edutopia.org’s Go Green Database, Edutopia video documentaries, and the October 2007
issue of Edutopia magazine provide the inspiration and how-to for teaching green and
being green in K-12 education.

San Rafael, CA (October 10, 2007) -- The George Lucas Educational Foundation has launched the Go Green Database on Edutopia.org as the centerpiece of an ambitious new package on the state of environmental awareness in public education. The package includes an online, user-driven database, exclusive short-form video documentaries, and the entire October 2007 issue of Edutopia magazine, available on demand, with additional links dedicated to the growing importance of teaching and practicing sustainability. Included in the issue and online is a poster that lists environmental-awareness project ideas for teachers and students to use in the classroom.

"We want Edutopia to be both informational and inspirational, as well as participatory," says Edutopia editor in chief James Daly. "Our audience is our greatest asset, and through this living database, we're giving them a chance to continually contribute, making this informational resource even stronger and deeper."

The Go Green Database features green projects, lesson plans, service-learning opportunities, and other resources site visitors can search in many ways -- by topic, grade level, cost, and location. This online power tool, which will be a permanent feature on Edutopia.org, also allows visitors to add, rate, and comment on or upload their own resources, a guarantee that it will be continuously relevant and up-to-date.

The feature Go Green documentary, A Way Forward: The Environmental and Spatial Technology Initiative, examines the the nationwide EAST Initiative, which fills classrooms with the latest technology and turns students loose to design and execute community-service projects.

The October 2007 issue of Edutopia magazine features the following articles:

  • "How To: Reduce Your School's Eco-Footprint"
    Making your school more eco-friendly is just a matter of taking the initiative. Edutopia offers tips to get you started.
  • "Green Heroes"
    Thousands of educators and students have become agents of environmental change. These leaders stand out in a swelling educational movement by inspiring youths to participate in conservation projects.
  • "A Climate of Hope"
    The terrifying consequences of climate change can spur student action and not just despair. Edutopia offers advice on educating children about global warming without scaring the life out of them.
  • Editor's Note
    Guest editor Bill McKibben, a noted environmentalist and author whose subject matter includes global warming and alternative energy, explains why nothing is as useful as climate change for teaching kids about how knowledge interacts across disciplines, and about why knowledge counts.
  • Pop Quiz with Ed Begley Jr.
    Known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle or in his electric car, Ed Begley Jr. has long been considered an environmental leader in the Hollywood community. Edutopia asks the actor about his formative educational experiences.

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About Edutopia:

Edutopia is published by The George Lucas Educational Foundation, founded in 1991 by filmmaker George Lucas as a nonprofit operating foundation that publishes media to document and disseminate the most innovative practices in K–12 education, including how technology offers many new opportunities for teaching and learning. Through its Edutopia.org Web site, the award-winning Edutopia magazine, and Edutopia video, the Foundation spreads the word about ideal learning environments and demonstrates how educators can build their own schools for the twenty-first century. To find out more go to www.edutopia.org.