The Latest News
-
September 27, 2008 - DIG launches 2008/09 Green Schools Challenge with training for over 70 teachers
On September 27, 2008, Dream in Green launched the 2008/09 Green Schools Challenge with a training attended by over seventy Miami-Dade County teachers. The seven-hour training was held at Ransom Everglades Upper School and included an introduction to the GSC program as well as training on energy and climate change issues. Teachers left with the tools and knowledge to carry out the program and reduce the carbon footprint of their school.
DIG Co-Founder and Board Chair, Nick Gunia, welcoming teachers. Thanks to first and second year GSC teachers for leading many of the sessions:
Dr. Wafa Khalil, MAST Academy; Pamela Schlactman, Palmetto Senior High School; Dr. Jay Calkins, Ransom Everglades; Bertha Vazquez, George Washington Carver Middle; and Kathleen Cattie, Fienberg Fisher K-8 Center.Especially, thanks to Ransom Everglades for hosting the training and providing the teachers with breakfast and lunch!
-
July 12, 2008
DIG Executive Director guest on nationally broadcast town hall forum. [READ]
June 20 – 24 - Greening the 76th Annual US Conference of Mayors
Thanks to a generous donation from the Home Depot Foundation, Dream in Green partnered with the City of Miami, the Hotel Intercontinental, and the US Conference of Mayors to green the 76th Annual Conference of Mayors meeting held in Miami in late June. The annual meeting is a gathering of Mayors from across the country to discuss issues and vote on policy recommendations to forward to Congress and the new Administration . . .read more.
-
May 15, 2008 - DIG receives donation from Staples, Inc.
Dream in Green received a generous donation of $2,500 from Staples, Inc. during the opening of Miami's first green retail building registered with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The store is expected to receive its LEED certification within the next couple of months. The ceremony, which included a speech by Mayor Manny Diaz, took place at the Staples green store located at 2121 Biscayne Boulevard.
May 29, 2008 - Dream in Green Honors 2007-2008 "Green Schools Challenge" Participants at 2nd Annual Awards Ceremony
(L-R) Ben Wolkov, Carlos Canino, Lissette Gonzalez,
Jane Gilbert, Nich Gunia, Eric Wenke.Dream in Green hosted its second annual Green Schools Challenge Awards Ceremony at the Miami, Florida office of Stearns Weaver Miller, et al. on May 29, 2008. At the event, administrators, principals, teachers, and students from all across Miami-Dade County, celebrated their accomplishments during the 2007-2008 Green Schools Challenge, the flagship program of Dream in Green. This exciting event was hosted by Miami's own Lissette Gonzalez, the Morning Weather Anchor for CBS4 and My33, and attended by community leaders, including Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson and Robert Ruano, the Director of the Office of Sustainable Initiatives for the City of Miami, and Jim Torrens, the Facilities Director for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
During the 2007-2008 Green Schools Challenge, fifteen elementary, middle and high schools throughout South Florida integrated learning about climate change and environmental sustainability into their curriculum. The students translated that learning into hands-on action at their schools, homes and the community. In total, these schools saved over $150,000 by conserving roughly 650,000 kilowatt hours in electricity, recycled approximately 87,000 pounds of paper and planted 540 native trees. Alterna Corp., a Green Schools Challenge sponsor, donated an additional 10,000 kilowatt-hours in renewable energy credits to each of the fifteen schools participating in the program. Together, this grassroots effort reduced, sequestered or offset nearly 1.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. These impressive accomplishments are reflected on each school's Greenometer dashboard, which measures each school's progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
View photos from the event via this slide show. -
April 20, 2008 - Dream in Green Celebrates Earth Day 2008 at the Green Apple Festival
On Sunday April 20th, Dream in Green, along with the City of Miami and various community organizations, celebrated Earth Day at the Green Apple Festival at Bicentennial Park in Downtown Miami. The festival featured live music from acts such as Arrested Development and was the largest Earth Day Celebration in America. Dream in Green hosted an informational booth at the Festival where they showcased the success of schools participaitng in the Green Schools Challenge. The Green Schools Challenge program has served over 18,000 K-12 students throughout Miami-Dade County by educating these students about global warming and energy challenges and getting them involved in solutions at their schools. -
Dream in Green and Mayor of Miami Join to Promote Earth Hour.
On March 24, 2008, Dream in Green, the Mayor of Miami, Florida, USA, and Miami’s Downtown Development Authority gathered to promote Earth Hour 2008, happening on March 29.
Over 300 guests packed the Sky Terrace at the landmark Bank of America Tower to watch as Mayor Manny Diaz and his daughter, Elisa, turned off the multiple lights of the distinctive, 47-story Tower to encourage Miami’s residents to participate in the upcoming Earth Hour.
The event’s attendees also took a pledge to join millions worldwide who will shut off their lights from 8 to 9 p.m. on March 29 for the Earth Hour event.
-
February 13, 2008 - Listen to "Maybe Just Maybe" by Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin
Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin introduced his inspirational rap on global warming, "Maybe Just Maybe," at Dream in Green's first annual Green is Glam event on October 20, 2007 at the Setai Hotel on Miami Beach. Mr. Ruvin was given the "Green Innovators" award that evening along with City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. Ruvin's rap is currently energizing students participating in the 2007-2008 Green Schools Challenge.Click on song name list item on the left to start listening. Download a zipped MP3 file for your own use. (Un-zip after downloaded to your computer)
-
February 4, 2008 - Dream in Green and Green Partners Launch Version 2.0 of the GreenometerSMDashboard at Greenometer.org
The Dream in Green Foundation, in cooperation with Green Partners, LLC, has launched version 2.0 of the GreenometerSM Certification System and Dasboard at Greenometer.org. The GreenometerSM Dashboard allows our Green Schools Challenge participants to easily measure reductions in their electricity consumption and carbon emissions, not to mention dollars saved. You can now view the GreenometerSM Dashboard for each of the fifteen schools participating in the Green Schools Challenge at Greenometer.org. Learn how to read the GreenometerSM Dashboard and find out how it works here! -
February 2, 2008 - Dream in Green Chairman Nick Gunia Speaks at Leadership Miami Environmental Focus Session
On Saturday, February 2nd, Dream in Green Chairman, Nick Gunia, spoke at a Leadership Miami Focus Session on the environment. Leadership Miami is an innovative leadership development program sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. The Focus Session, which was held at Homestead High School, featured talks by local environmental leaders and activists, including renown artist, Xavier Cortada, who along with Alex Montalvo of Citizens for a Better South Florida spoke about their Native Flags Project, which is planting trees in South Florida and reclaiming land for nature. Nick Gunia, a 2004-2005 Leadership Miami program graduate, spoke about how the program impacted him and emboldened him, and two of his Leadership Miami classmates, Carlos Canino and Amy Rosenberg, to co-found Dream in Green in order to tackle environmental and energy challenges facing the community. Learn more about the Leadership Miami program. -
January 30-31, 2008 - DIG Holds Mid-Year Year Meetings for Green Schools Challenge Teachers and Administrators
Dream in Green Holds Mid-Year Training Meetings for Green Schools Challenge Participants
On January 30th and 31st, Dream in Green held mid-year training meetings for the teacher and administrator teams at the fifteen schools participating in the 2007-2008 Green Schools Challenge. The training meetings were led by Jane Gilbert, Dream in Green's consulting Executive Director and attended by 32 teachers and administrators for 13 schools. At the meetings, the teacher and administrator teams discussed their efforts and best practices, evaluated their progress and challenges, and made plans for implementing the program in the second half of the school year. -
January 12, 2008 - Dream in Green Holds 2nd Anniversary Fundraiser at SET on Miami Beach
Hundreds gathered on Saturday, January 12th, at SET Nightclub on Miami Beach to celebrate the second birthday of Dream in Green and to raise funds for the 2007-2008 Green Schools Challenge. The Green Schools Challenge currently serves over 18,000 students, teachers and administrators at fifteen K-12 schools throughout Miami-Dade County. Dream in Green is grateful to SET, which donated $500 to the organization and provided the venue and complimentary cocktails for attendees.
Read >> 06 - 07 News
