Foundation for a Green Future, Inc. runs programs to educate our school children and our communities about the importance of bringing nature back into our cities.
Boston GreenFest: is our annual festival at Boston City Hall and takes place at the end of August. It is the largest multicultural environmental festival in the region. Boston GreenFest 2011 will have a number of new special features including a GreenSoul Stage, a Green Entrepreneurs Small Business Forum, an EcoQuest, an Eco Salsa Fashion Show and an eco-friendly firework display. We will launch a GreenKiosk Contest and a Mini GreenPlaza Challenge. Please visit: www.bostongreenfest.org.
TOP Green Office Program: reaches out to our elected officials, beginning at the Massachusetts State House, to evaluate the green initiatives being taken and assess opportunities for increased efficiency and sustainability. The Foundation is working in conjunction with Operation A.B.L.E. to provide this service. TOP refers to "turn over the page" - in other words, before recycling, use the other side of a printed page that does not contain confidential information. By doing so, we can all begin to turn a new page!
GreenRoof 2020: is a program that enables schools, community centers, nonprofits and others to learn about green roofs by helping build one on their own building that is 20'x20'. The Foundation provides workshops to teach about green roofs, their benefits, their maintenance, and their importance to our ecosystem.
GreenPartners Curriculum: teaches high school students to teach elementary school students about green roofs and environmental issues. This partnership allows the high school students to gain confidence and the younger students to learn from older students they look up to.
My First Green Job: is a program being developed jointly by the Foundation for a Green Future, Inc. on the East Coast and by the West Coast public charities, Optimizing National Education and Technology Initiatives and Application. This has several facets to it. One initiative we are developing here in Boston is recruiting people with disabilities to help increase awareness about Boston GreenFest through social networking, blogging and outreach to potential exhibitors. This will require good knowledge of environmental issues and computer skills. It also gives participants the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills that can lead them to the creation of small businesses and continue their work in green fields. College students will serve as one-on-one mentors.
Sustainable Economy Conference/College GreenFest: The Foundation for a Green Future, Inc. (FGF) is a presenting sponsor for this event which will occur on May 2, 2011 at Boston's Federal Reserve Bank. The Sustainable Ecoonmy Conference (SEC) educates, inspires and prepares business professionals to achieve higher levels of sustainability, corporate responsibility and diversity. It is a forum designed to help participants learn from the collective experience of principled business leaders and to network with local, cross-industry thinkers and doers who are changing the Commonwealth through business.
The FGF is working with ISES (Integrative Sustainability and Environmental Solutions) to set up this conference. We are forming a session to discuss the economic importance of greening our urban spaces. Also, there will be opportunities for college students to participate in a comprehensive College GreenFest program developed by FGF to empower the next generation of Massachusetts business leaders to actively engage in progressive business practices that cultivate a sustainable economy. Please visit: http://sustainableeconomyconfenrence.com.
