These might be of interest to AAO members.  Check out the links for more detail.

                                      National Award for Smart Growth Achievement    

Through the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, the Environmental Protection Agency seeks to recognize and support public entities (from cities to state governments and the many types of public entities in-between) that promote and achieve smart growth, while at the same time bringing about direct and indirect environmental benefits.

Smart growth development practices support national environmental goals by preserving open spaces and parkland and protecting critical habitat; improving transportation choices, including walking, bicycling, and transit, which reduces emissions from automobiles; promoting brownfield redevelopment; and reducing impervious surfaces, which improves water quality.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This competition is open to public- and private-sector entities that have successfully used smart growth principles to improve communities environmentally, socially, and economically. The application period is open from February 8, 2010 to April 5, 2010. Up to five awards will be given in the following categories:

    * Programs, Policies, and Regulations
    * Smart Growth and Green Building
    * Civic Places
    * Rural Smart Growth
    * Overall Excellence

Eligible candidates are invited to submit an application for the 2010 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.  If you have questions concerning the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement program, contact Abby Hall or call (202)566-2086, or visit the EPA online.

                                                      Problem Solvers Wanted
The challenge: design something that solves a problem

Young designers and engineers are brimming with creative ideas to change the world – it’s this ability to think differently that the James Dyson Award celebrates and encourages.

The James Dyson Award is an international design award that celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers. It’s run by the James Dyson Foundation, James Dyson’s charitable trust, as part of its mission to inspire young people about design engineering.

There will be one International Winner, and one National Winner in each country participating in the James Dyson Award 2010. Entry is open to product design, industrial design and engineering university level students (or graduates within 4 years of graduation) who have studied in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA.

Read more about the James Dyson Award online.

If we spend 90% of our time inside buildings, how do the environments we live, teach, and learn in become educational laboratories? 

At the 2009 AAO conference, Julia Feder, Manger of LEED Education Resources at the U.S. Green Building Council led a break-out session based on this question.  The session, held
Friday, November 6, 2009, began with an exploration of how to make sense of sustainability in the classroom.  Julia also focused on USGBC education resources that can boost understanding of green building basics, as well as award winning education programs from across the country.  The group went through some hands-on activities that helped participants to identify opportunities for aligning curriculum with educational opportunities throughout the school building.

Check out Julia's presentation, and all the great Green Education resources available on the USGBC website.  Be sure to listen to the MP3 of Julia's session at the bottom of this post!

Julia Feder, Manager of LEED Education Resources, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Julia Feder serves as the Manager of LEED Education Resources for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). In this role, Julia oversees a broad range of activities related to the development of education programs, trainings, and resources in support of USGBC’s mission to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. Her responsibilities include overseeing the development of green building case studies, distance learning opportunities, and a variety of publications. Additionally, Julia has led USGBC’s efforts to support the integration of green building and sustainability concepts into K-12, undergraduate and graduate curriculum.

Since graduating from Antioch University New England’s Environmental Science Graduate Program in 2002, Julia has also worked with the Missouri Botanical Garden EarthWays Center in St. Louis, MO, coordinating the organization’s sustainability education programs. Additionally, she has taught fourth grade and helped start a farmers market to serve an urban neighborhood. While Julia loves her car-free, urban commute, she looks forward to any opportunity to get outside of the city with her two dogs.