Indianapolis, IN—Indiana Project Learning Tree (PLT) will host the 23rd International Project Learning Tree Coordinators’ Conference Indianapolis, May 4-7, 2009. Approximately 120 environmental education leaders from across the U.S., Japan, and Mexico, will gather at the Hilton Indianapolis for their annual conference.

On May 6, the group will work with 300 students and 100 Keep Indianapolis Beautiful volunteers at Cold Spring School to turn the only environmental magnet school in Indianapolis Public Schools into a PLT GreenSchool!  Students will work alongside volunteers to “green” the school grounds by planting gardens, installing rainbarrels, and cleaning up Crooked Creek.

Award-winning children’s songwriter and performing artist Bill Brennan will perform live for students. “Billy B” has been writing and performing children’s song and dance shows with environmental themes since 1978. He recently released a new CD Project Learning Tree Presents: Billy B Sings About Trees to entertain and teach kids about the role of trees in the environment and in our communities.

On May 5, in celebration of National Teacher Day, the former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Suellen Reed, will give the keynote address at the PLT National Outstanding Educator Awards presentation. That evening, conference participants will enjoy a special after-hours visit to Earth Discovery Center in Eagle Creek Park. On May 6, they will also have the opportunity to tour the Marian College EcoLab, a 55-acre wetland and lowland forest.

Indiana Project Learning Tree has worked with Cold Spring Environmental Magnet School for eight years, training the teachers in the use of the Project Learning Tree materials, helping them with outdoor classroom projects, and developing an environmentally-based curriculum. In 2009, Cold Spring School was selected by National Project Learning Tree to pilot test a new GreenSchools! initiative. Students and teachers at 38 schools in ten states are receiving intensive training in environmental education and Project Learning Tree. Students investigate environmental issues at their school and come up with an action plan to create a green and healthy learning environment. Based on their investigations, students work with their community in service-learning projects to create a model GreenSchool.

“When the GreenSchools! program was announced by the National PLT Office, I immediately thought of Cold Spring School,” said Donna Rogler, Indiana PLT Coordinator. She added, “I am very excited to have Project Learning Tree conference participants contribute a day of service to the school to help with their projects.”

Project Learning Tree is one of the largest and longest-running (33 years) environmental education programs in the U.S. PLT is sponsored nationally by the American Forest Foundation. In Indiana, PLT is sponsored by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry.

PLT conducts professional development workshops, in which trained facilitators train teachers and other educators to use books of lesson plans filled with hands-on environmental education activities and to engage their students in active, outdoor learning. Through PLT’s GreenWorks! and GreenSchools! programs, students partner with their community in student-led service-learning projects to improve their environment.

PLT activities are designed to mesh with subjects and topics already being taught in the state’s public and private schools. Over 22,300 Indiana teachers have been trained in the award-winning PLT curriculum since it came to Indiana in 1985.  Nationally, 30,000 educators are trained in PLT every year.

Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is the environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation. PLT provides educators with comprehensive environmental education curriculum resources that can be integrated into lesson plans for all grades and subject areas. PLT teaches students “how to think, not what to think” about complex environmental issues, and helps students learn the skills they need to make sound choices about the environment.

Developed in 1976, PLT has an international network of more than 500,000 trained educators using PLT materials that cover the total environment. The American Forest Foundation, a nonprofit organization, works for the conservation of healthy forests, quality environmental education, and informed decision-making about our communities and our world.

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