TurfMutt launched its “Be a Backyard Superhero” contest. To win, students in grades K-5 submit essays on how they are helping to save the world’s living landscapes. Entries are due Jan. 23.
One teacher will win a trip to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) annual conference and one elementary school will win a $10,000 grant.
Through classroom materials developed with Scholastic, TurfMutt teaches students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” Lucky is the real-life rescue dog behind the cartoon superhero TurfMutt.
“We are thrilled to create the new TurfMutt Teacher Award where we will send one teacher to the NSTA annual conference next year. Highlighting teaching success and investing in professional development leads to better learning for students,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and Lucky’s rescuer. “The $10,000 grant gives the winning school enough money to do a significant project–like install an outdoor classroom, a teaching garden, or another environmental education project of their choosing.”
The TurfMutt program has awarded $35,000 to schools nationwide since 2010.
TurfMutt is an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
