BlueGrass Roots & Shoots - Press Room

Peace Day '06!

2006-10-02T22:29:00.000-04:00

BGRS Celebrates Peace Day!

2006-09-18T21:48:00.000-04:00

What: Celebration of Peace
Where: Phoenix Park (outside the Central Library; downtown Lexington)
When: Sept. 30th, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Open to the media and the public

Lexington, KY students will join thousands of young people around the world who are heeding Dr. Jane Goodall's call to express their desire for peace in ceremonies that include the flight of Giant Peace Dove puppets.

The students, many of whom are members of BlueGrass Roots & Shoots, are hosting a Celebration of Peace on Saturday, Sept. 30th to mark the Roots & Shoots Day of Peace, which Dr. Goodall established in support of United Nations peace endeavors, including the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21. Dr. Goodall has served as a UN Messenger of Peace since 2002. The Roots & Shoots events all over the world will include the "flight" of Giant Peace Doves - humble, beautiful creations made entirely of recycled materials.

"With the peace doves we remind everyone of the truth they sometimes forget – that peace is possible. We celebrate all that is free and noble in the human spirit. And we celebrate all that so many people have done throughout the year – and will do next year – to create a better world," says Dr. Goodall.

In past years, doves have flown in peace marches, in schools, in parks, along waterways, at the Coliseum in Rome, a monastery in Mongolia and the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. To see a photo gallery, visit www.janegoodall.org.

For more information about Peace Day, please visit www.rootsandshoots.org.

R&S Newsletter!

2006-02-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

Dear Roots & Shoots Leaders & Members,

In this issue:

Announcing the "How Green is Our Future?" Essay and Art Contest
ING Unsung Heroes Awards
Conference Focuses on Campus Community Service - C.O.O.L. Idealist National Conference
Civiconnections Program
Action Alert Update: Write a thank you letter to Comcast Cable

Announcing the "How Green is Our Future?" Essay and Art Contest

The Roots & Shoots program and Weekly Reader invite students in grades K to 12 to take part in our national essay and art contest, "How Green is Our Future?" The deadline is March 15, 2006. Three winners will be selected in each grade. Prizes will include: first prize $50.00 plus an autographed Jane Goodall book, second prize $25.00 plus an autographed Jane Goodall book, and third prize an autographed Jane Goodall book. The contests lead up to a poll designed to glean kids' thoughts about the environment and help them have a voice on environmental issues. The "How Green is Our Future? Kids Decide" Poll will be held March 15 to April 15. For more information about the "How Green is Our Future?" Essay and Art Contest, please visit http://www.rootsandshoots.org/about-us/contest.asp.

ING Unsung Heroes Awards

The Public Education Network's weekly NewsBlast brings word of the ING Unsung Heroes Awards. This program celebrates innovative and progressive thinking in education through projects that directly improve student learning. Past awards have gone directly to classroom educators and school leaders. 100 public and private school educators from the 50 states receive a $2,000 award. Three finalists earn further rewards: $25,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place, and $5,000 for third place. 2006 award candidates must apply by May 1. For more about the ING Unsung Heroes Awards, including a link to the application, visit http://www.ing.com/us/aboutING/communityconnections/ ineducation/unsungheroes/001137.html.

Conference Focuses on Campus Community Service - C.O.O.L. Idealist National Conference

The C.O.O.L. Idealist National Conference is the largest convening in the country of campus community members involved in service, activism, politics, and socially responsible work. For 21 years, this conference has brought together student leaders and activists, campus administrators, and nonprofit professionals for three days of networking, storytelling, and learning. College students and nonprofit professionals from across the country who are actively engaged in service, activism, and civic life on their campuses and in their communities are encouraged to attend. The conference will be held March 3-5, 2006 in Nashville, TN. For registration information, visit http://www.idealist.org/conferences/cool/2006/.

CiviConnections Program

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) CiviConnections program links local historical inquiry with community service-learning activities nationwide in 3rd-12th grade classrooms. CiviConnections projects during the 2006/07 school year will focus on: Poverty, Health Care, Discrimination, or the Environment. Maximum Award: $7,500. Eligibility: teams of three teachers from grades 3-12 in the same public school district with membership in NCSS or agreeing to join if selected; must partner with at least one local community agency and meet certain other requirements (see website). Deadline: February 24, 2006. For more information, visit http://www.civiconnections.org/.

Action Alert Update: Write a thank you letter to Comcast Cable

Great news! Comcast Cable has informed the Chimpanzee Collaboratory that they won't be using great apes in their ads in the foreseeable future! We are especially thankful to them for recognizing that the use of great apes in entertainment is not a responsible business practice. Please send Jennifer Khoury of Comcast a note to let her know you appreciate the decision.

Jennifer Khoury
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Comcast Corporation Headquarters
1500 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Jennifer_Khoury@comcast.com

Up Coming Meeting

2005-12-04T12:51:00.000-05:00

BlueGrass Roots & Shoots will be having a meeting on Tuesday, December 6, at 2PM. We welcome other homeschool families to join us. Please email Nancy @ foreman5@gte.net for the location and directions.
At this meeting we will be discussing other service projects and fundraiser opportunities. The kids will be stuffing socks for "Operation Happy Sock." If possible, please bring an old, hole free, clean, sock for them to stuff.

Roots & Shoots is featured on Animal Planet!

2005-11-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

The TV station Animal Planet is highlighting Jane Goodall and Roots & Shoots tomorrow on Jeff Corwin Adventures! Look for it!

When: Monday, November 27th (11/27/05), 5:00-6:00 p.m. - look for it in the commercials towards the end! It's called "A Roots & Shoots Minute."

Where: Jeff Corwin Adventures, Animal Planet - locally, cable channel 36

Links to R&S-related pages on the Animal Planet website:

Jane Goodall: 40 Years in Gombe - Main

Jane Goodall - About Roots & Shoots

Jane Goodall - Noteworthy Roots & Shoots Projects - Saving the Channel Island Fox

Jane Goodall - Noteworthy Roots & Shoots Projects - Tanzanian Roots & Shoots Students Take On a Decades-Old Conflict

Jane Goodall - Fan Central

BlueGrass Roots & Shoots goes to Holiday-Go-Round!

2005-11-26T22:19:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday's been busy!

You may have heard of the Explorium's Museum-Go-Round. The Holiday-Go-Round is a small-scale, indoor, fall/winter version of the Museum-Go-Round - a venue for local, young (18 and under) artists to sell and showcase their works. BlueGrass Roots & Shoots held a 6' table for the crafts of our entire group. We had a very crowded space, because we've been working for over a month preparing things to sell!

Before the Holiday-Go-Round: Preparing Crafts

Working on decoupaged boxes

Cupcake candles colored with recycled crayons

Making Christmas ornaments

Making drawings to go on the covers of cards

Decorating purses recycled out of wool sweaters from Goodwill

At the Holiday-Go-Round [11/19/05]

At our Holiday-Go-Round table

Selling our crafts