5th Annual
Fill Your Plate with Green!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Mexican Heritage Plaza
1700 Alum Rock Avenue
San José, CA
Price: $20
Conference Description
Conference Schedule
Keynote Speaker
Breakfast and lunch presented by Fresh Choice
Breakout Sessions
CEU credit for teachers
Call for posters
Thanks to Our Sponsors
A Once-a-Year Opportunity
Calling all teachers, parents, school administrators and interested community members! Celebrate Earth Day by taking part in the premier green schools event of the year—right here in the Bay Area. Join others from around the Bay Area who are working to green their schools and cultivate a generation of sustainability leaders.
The City of San José is proud to announce this year’s conference theme: Food! The Bay Area has long been a culinary hot spot, but now the world is looking to us for more than a meal that tastes wonderful. They also want one that is made from local, organically grown and humanely raised ingredients. As a Bay Area resident and professional, you’re right in the heart of this exciting movement. We’ll explore this topic as well as a wide range of other environmental topics, like energy efficiency, water conservation, green building, environmentally preferable purchasing and more! So be prepared to fill both your actual and your figurative plate with green!
The conference is designed to be affordable for anyone interested in green schools. For only $20, you receive admission to the keynote speaker session, workshops, exhibit hall, awards ceremony, continental breakfast and an organic lunch (A $200 value!).
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Conference Schedule
Morning
- Organic breakfast presented by Fresh Choice
- Opening Remarks
- Breakout Session I
- Time to explore the Exhibit Hall, Earth Balloon display, and Poster Gallery
Lunch
- Featured Keynote Presentation –
Jamie Smith, former restaurant owner and chef turned
mastermind of the Santa Cruz City School lunch program!
- Organic lunch presented by Fresh Choice
Afternoon
- Breakout Session III
- Green Star Awards Reception
- Hors d'oeuvres presented by Fresh Choice
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Keynote Speaker – Jamie Smith
Hear Jamie Smith talk about his journey from restaurant owner and chef to mastermind of the Santa Cruz City School lunch program! Smith’s years of experience in the culinary industry were no match for the challenge he faced in taking on the school lunch program for thousands of skeptical children.
But over the last year, Smith has brought fresh, fun, and environmentally preferred nutrition to cafeterias all over Santa Cruz by incorporating seasonal, local produce and scratch cooking into the breakfasts and lunches of schoolchildren! It’s been a challenge that he has met with his signature flair for creativity and tenacity, and not to mention a long-standing commitment to local foods and seasonal healthy cooking! He has recreated the Mission and values of the District’s Food Services and Wellness policies to include commitment to local foods and reduced environmental impact. He has also forged partnerships with local farms to sell fruits and vegetables directly to the schools and has set ambitious goals for scratch cooking and improved nutrition within the district. Before joining the Santa Cruz City Schools, Smith achieved a legacy of culinary accomplishments as Chef de Cuisine for the University of California Santa Cruz. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear some real food for thought!
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Breakfast and lunch presented by Fresh Choice
Let Fresh Choice “fill your plate with green” at the conference so you can taste for yourself why local-grown, organic food is not only important, but also, oh so good! Fresh Choice works hard to promote fresh, healthy eating to restaurant patrons and has taken this mission a step further with a new goal of making their menu 100% certified organic. Conference attendees are in for a treat, as the Fresh Choice team will graciously showcase their delicious organic menu throughout the day at the conference! Learn more about Fresh Choice’s sustainable food initiatives.
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Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions … Enjoy a 3-course meal for the mind
We promised a “hearty menu” of options for greening your school and teaching green, and today we are pleased to serve you that 4-star selection of learning sessions! Pick one track to follow or mix and match sessions from each track to tailor your own learning. Bon appétit!
TRACK 1: Flex Your Creativity: Spice up your classroom – a guide to curriculum and hands-on activities!
TRACK 2: Get Inspired: Engaging ways to bring green action at your school!
TRACK 3: Lighten Up! Save some greens with school facilities operations and maintenance
TRACK 4: Flower to Flour: Food, garden and healthy kids
Each track has three scheduled breakout sessions: view descriptions of each session
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Continuing Education Unit (CEU) available to teachers who attend the conference!
Great news for teachers! Dominican University is offering .5 CEU credit for teachers who attend the Conference. To register for this opportunity, please follow these steps:
- Register for the conference.
- Notify the conference of your intent to seek the credit by filling out a brief online form.
- Prior to the conference, print and fill out the Professional and Continuing Education Registration Form, and submit it to the Dominican University of California along with your course fee payment of $27.50 (see form for payment options and mailing address). Please complete your registration in advance of the conference.
- Sign in at the CEU table when you arrive at the conference and participate for a minimum of 5 hours. Submit a one-page, double-spaced summary detailing the knowledge you gained at the conference and how you intend to use it at your school. Send to Sandy Wallenstein, the designated course instructor at sandy@seiinc.org. Summary due to Sandy by Monday, May 9th.
Sandy will submit your pass/fail grade to Dominican University once all requirements have been met and Dominican University will issue your transcript.
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Want to see your “green” project displayed at the conference?
We are currently seeking posters from schools and clubs to showcase successful environmental projects in a poster gallery at the conference to inspire and encourage attendees. The posters are great way to share your class or club’s project with educators and parents from across the Bay Area! Submission Guidelines
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Thanks to Our Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Gold Level
Silver Level
Friends of BASEC
Chinook Book
Happy Hollow Park and Zoo
Lundardi's Market
Oakland Zoo
Plants on Walls
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