The Environmental Education Council of Marin “EECOM” invites you and your colleagues and friends to join; Senator Mark Leno, Assembly member Jared Huffman and Supervisor Charles McGlashan at our 2008 Environmental Leadership Award Ceremony. The award ceremony will be held at the Mill Valley Community center on Tuesday evening, November 11 th between 6:30 and 8:30 pm. This year EECOM is pleased to honor Gordon Bennett as the 2008 Environmental Leader of Marin.

We hope that you and your work colleagues/friends can join us for this auspicious event to honor an environmental hero, and to support our important work going forward. The price of a ticket is $40 per person paid in advance and $50 at the door (advance purchase is suggested in case of the event being sold out). Tickets can be purchased on line at www.eecom.net or by mail to our office at 42 Bolinas, Ste G, Fairfax, CA 94930.

Excellent opportunities to sponsor this event and be involved in this important ceremony are also being offered. EECOM has received excellent coverage for this event in Marin IJ and other news sources (reaching over 80,000 people), and we always list our supporters, on signage at the event, at our web site and in our e-zine which goes out to over 2,000 people. If you are interested in being a sponsor please contact us at support@eecom.net.

This important event marks an annual milestone by honoring individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to our community. It also presents community leaders an opportunity to come together and celebrate our sustainable Marin County.

Environmental Education Programs

Through our teen media program, we train high school students in journalism, we interview environmental leaders, and their stories are professional edited and aired every week (52 stories a year) after Living on Earth on KAWL. This fine education program for older teens, builds communication and media skills while providing job training. We are also able to bring new voices to the media, by disseminating newsworthy environmental stories.

We also reach many younger children in Marin County through our excellent nutrition and garden program for children in grades k-4 th . Just this past year, we reached over 650 children nutrition and garden lessons (in four of Marin counties poorest schools) every other week. By doing so, EECOM provides over 50 hours of in depth education and training to each youth (a grand total of 32,500 hours of educational instruction!). This in-depth nutrition and garden program has changed children's attitudes and behaviors about what foods are healthy and desirable to eat, and educated them in basic ecological and gardening principles. The program has also transformed some of the schools food and nutrition practices, by encouraging a school salad bar option.

This year, we are pleased to be able to reach out and help many more schools and children since launching our school garden mini-grants program and our mini-grants for field trips for kids. You can learn more about these grants at www.eecom.net .

Marin City Programs: Health and Nutrition

For four years, EECOM has provided services to some of our poorest communities; Marin City and the Canal. We run an after school education program for Marin City middle school children to engage them in beneficial activities. Through the Marin City Youth Corps program we guides and recognize the youth's contribution to their community through gardening, clean up and helping on community projects. One of our favorite youth activities is their bringing fresh organic produce directly from our farm stand to elderly Marin residents as part of a free delivery service.

This past year, we successfully launched the Marin City Farm Stand bringing organic produce at economical prices to the Marin City community. The farm stand is a fledgling micro-enterprise that provides employment and job training to Marin city residents. We hope to spin off the farm stand in several years as a viable self-sustaining business. In the future, we hope to link the farm stand to a larger community garden, making the stand entirely self-sufficient and community run.

Environmental Education Networking, Training Mini-grants & More

EECOM has the most comprehensive and up to date listings of environmental education providers in Marin County. You can view our list and get more information about the different programs from the providers at www.eecom.net. We also host a quarterly networking meeting as part of our Children and Nature Connection, and we just launched two wonderful mini-grant opportunities for school gardens and for field trip outings for kids. Go to www.eecom.net to see our application and learn more.

Next year, we will offer certification course in EE for Marin public school teachers, along with many of our partners.

All of this and more has been accomplished, by a relatively small organization, making EECOM one of the most efficient non-profits in the bay area. This means that every dollar that is donated to us is put into meaningful programs that benefit our local community.

We have a wonderful group of community supporters to date and EECOM would be pleased to add you to our list as one of our sponsors. If you live or work in Marin County, you will be directly benefiting your own community by doing so. If you have any questions please contact me at the e-mail or phone listed below.

Contact: Catriona.macgregor@comcast.net

(415) 785-3887

PS – we will consider a few silent auction items valued over $250 dollars but are focusing on cash sponsorships this year.

Praise for the work of the

Environmental Education Council of Marin

“I have been the Pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Marin City for almost 13 years.  The Farm Stand is erected each week directly across the street from my church.  I have the opportunity to witness the variety of people who frequent the Farm Stand – both from within and outside of Marin City.  Additionally, about one-fourth of the members of St. Andrew live within Marin City and directly benefit through the purchase of quality produce.

There have been several programs established here in Marin City in recent years to promote and encourage increased health and wellness for a community that statistically manifests disproportionate numbers of cases of ill health and pre-mature death.  I believe the produce stand helps to support and supplement these efforts to improve the quality of life for many, especially those without transportation.” -Reverend Veronica Goines, Pastor St. Andrew Presbyterian Church

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I have come to appreciate how EECOM's programs honor the diversity in Marin County and builds bridges between many sectors and interest groups. EECOM truly approaches diversity as a model of how present and future generations can unite and thrive. Therefore, I am writing in support. It is difficult for me to contribute the name of any other non-profit organization in Marin that reaches such a breadth in community reach for its size.

EECOM's accomplishments in media coverage throughout 2006 illustrate their vision of focusing the community's energies. In May, EECOM ran a series of community-based meetings and media initiatives, including front-page coverage in the Marin Independent Journal. Such coverage has increased public understanding of the need to reduce energy consumption. Moving beyond understanding, EECOM has also galvanized the community by initiating a pledge campaign so that residents make a visible oath to do at least one activity to reduce energy consumption and subsequently their ecological footprint.

 EECOM's Marin City Farm Stand project furthers the integration of the county's vibrant farming community with low-income populations that currently do not have easy access to healthy foods. Their tremendous efforts not only cultivate healthier bodies and minds, but also promote local economies by ensuring that our county residents eat healthy locally grown foods.

I believe that EECOM consistently provides opportunities throughout Marin County for people of all backgrounds, ages, and sectors. By supporting programs ranging from reducing the ecological footprint to environmental education, EECOM supports the diversity that is key to human and environmental sustainability. - Charles McGlashan. Marin County Supervisor

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“Teen Environmental Media has really helped to inform others about what we are doing and what our goals are. Also, their questions make us examine our own goals and philosophies in light of how others may perceive us .”- longtime environmental nonprofit member

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“ Having the farm stand in Marin City is crucial to the wellbeing of the community. Having access to healthy foods is one way of continuing the growth and development of a healthy community-body and mind. Access to healthy food helps illuminate obesity issues in the community. Healthy bodies support healthy, productive minds.

Children do much better educationally if they are healthy. If this community is to be supported in a positive, healthy manner, the health stand is an integral piece of the puzzle for a strong, productive, self-sustaining, healthy, educated, community.” - Leslie Johnson, M.S.W., PPSC, Supervisor, Marin City School Readiness Project Marin Education Equity Initiative Council Action Coalition for People of Color

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“EECOM serves as a clearinghouse of information and resources. EECOM helps bring people together and provides a link between the environment and businesses, educators, and the diverse communities of Marin. The ENVIRONMENT was previously defined more as animals and landscapes. With EECoM's help, we now understand the environment to include human health, justice, the built environment, etc.” -longtime environmental nonprofit project partner

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“The past two years my students and I have had the privilege to be able to have a wonderful teacher Julie Lehman, at San Pedro Elementary. Ms. Lehman is EECOM's nutrition and garden coordinator and she visits our classroom every other week. The students love all the garden and nutritional experiments she brings to the classroom. Personally I have learned a “bushel-full” of farming and gardening techniques that I have been able to apply to my own home garden.

I have worked with EECOM to incorporate science standards into their lessons. This year the students were able to plant carrot seeds and observe them mature to fruition. This particular lesson complimented nicely our unit on Plants and Energy.

The nutrition element that EECOM brings to the classroom is healthy information that these students may not receive otherwise. Because of the rigorous math and language arts programs that dominate the curriculum at San Pedro, teachers simply don't have the time to construct meaningful lessons around nutrition the way that EECOM has done.

The nutrition program has been a blessing to our campus.” - Tom Kiehfuss, San Pedro Elementary Teacher

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“ I have been associated with EECOM's excellent program through my work as Coordinator for the Marin Agriculture and Education Alliance (MAEA) Feasibility Study. MAEA is a coalition of environmental, educational and agricultural organizations in Marin County whose goal is to promote the connections between local agriculture and community health.

EECOM's youth program in particular has been especially effective. The produce box delivery program to elderly shut-ins and an education program centering on healthy food choices are but two of the ongoing projects.

I am one of the many, many admirers who hope this wonderful program will continue in the future. It is a true example of how collaborative efforts have resulted in a positive outcome for the community . - Patti Vance

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“EEÇOM has demonstrated that it has the vision and the courage to connect diverse people and communities, and to enrich and change lives. Through its extensive and successful networking and outreach to underserved communities, this organization has succeeded in breaking down barriers and being a community connector.“ - Sallyanne D. Wilson