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GEF’s volunteer opportunities focus on K-12 sustainability education programs; volunteers can introduce GEF’s free online educational programs to any school.  As a Green Energy Challenge volunteer you will help educate students on energy and water conservation through green team projects, class activities or school wide projects.  

Read on to learn more and to get involved today!

GEF Green Energy Challenge Volunteer Ideas

• Help to organize and implement GEF energy and water conservation strategies utilizing GEC audits and guidelines from the GEC curriculum website 
• Help teachers construct GEF energy science experiments from GEC website 
• Read eco-books to K-4 classrooms 
• Organize students/classes to create GEC posters and wall signs to place under light switches and thermostats to remind people to turn off lights when leaving a room and to keep thermostats set at energy-saving temperatures 
• Help teach kids the importance of power strips and how to plug computers and electronics into them to shut off after school, on weekends and when not in use 
• Help students determine the proper energy saving settings for computers and have them reset for every computer in the school 
• Create signs for each computer for users to shut them down after use and turn internal settings to go into sleep mode when not in use for several minutes. 
• Organize and teach weather-stripping sessions (a quick call to Lowes/Home Depot can provide detailed instruction and recommend materials) for classes and have students implement with all windows and doors 
• Organize fundraising for the purchase of automatic faucets for bathroom sinks and then help to install (with the help of a certified plumber). 
• Fundraise and or request donations for occupancy/light sensors from local stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, ACE Hardware, etc. Locate volunteer professionals to assist in installing light sensors to automatically shut off lights in bathrooms, classes, halls and for outside lights (with the help of a certified electrician). 
• Fundraise and or request donations for automatic thermostats local stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, ACE Hardware, etc. Locate volunteer’s professionals to install them and set and adjust settings for class time and then to reduce/increase temperatures during non-school hours, weekends and holidays. 
• Organize a tour for local schools to see “green buildings” first hand. 
• Investigate installing efficient landscape irrigation systems, native plants, rain barrels, and other ways to conserve water at schools. 
• Assist students in investigating and writing grants to apply for funding to upgrade their schools infrastructure, site, landscape and/or interior environmental quality.