U.S. Consulate Encourages Environmental Education in Schools during International Education Week

CHENNAI, November 17: As part of its International Education Week (November 16 – 20) programs, the U.S. Consulate Chennai will encourage environmental education in schools and present GLOBE Environmental Kits to 10 schools in South India. In Chennai, Alpha Matriculation Higher Secondary School and Veer Savarkar Netaji Matriculation School will receive the kits.

Former U.S. Vice-President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore launched the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program 14 years ago. Funded by NASA, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of State, GLOBE supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based investigations of the environment. The purpose is to generate greater interest, knowledge and care for the earth among today’s youth.

Today, the GLOBE network includes representatives from 110 countries. There are more than 50,000 GLOBE trained teachers representing over 22,000 schools around the world. GLOBE students have contributed more than 20 million scientific measurements to the GLOBE database for use in their inquiry-based science projects. The program facilitates students to form questions based on their personal observations of the world around them, and use the tools of GLOBE, over 50 scientifically tested protocols, to gather data to answer their questions.

The U.S. Consulate, Chennai will distribute GLOBE kits to 10 select schools in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. U.S. Consulate official, Mr. Ravindra Srivastava will formally hand over GLOBE Kits to two schools in Chennai in separate events organized on November 17 and November 19, 2009.

Press Events:

Tuesday November 17, 2009

11:00 a.m. (TBC) Screening of President Barack Obama’s message on Global Education and GLOBE Kit presentation at Alpha Matriculation School, CIT Nagar, Saidapet.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

7:00 p.m. Screening of President Barack Obama’s message on Global Education and GLOBE Kit presentation at Veera Savarkar Netaji Matriculation School (19, Chinnasamy street, Agaram, Chennai-82). The ceremony will be followed by a video conference on “Creating a Vision for a Better Future” with the Global Nomads Group, New York.