We hope you were able to incorporate the Learning Site resources into your classrooms this past school year.

During your well-deserved rest this summer, please be sure to visit the Learning Site to explore our recently added materials, and keep an eye out for regular updates to all our resources.

Send suggestions for resources or comments and anecdotes about how you have used Rainforest Alliance Learning Site lessons, stories and other materials to education@ra.org.

During the month of May, students at Madison School in Bridgeport, Connecticut began an in-depth study of rainforests around the world. Using the interactive lessons, presentations and resources on the Learning Site, teachers helped connect students with current projects in Latin America, and the lives of people living in neighboring communities. Our partnership was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Perrin Family Foundation.

Students at Madison School participated in a variety of activities, and learned that they too can help contribute to rainforest conservation. Students and teachers held a Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee sale and chocolate festival to celebrate two of the tastiest treats to originate in rainforests.

Our partnership with schools in Bridgeport, Connecticut was recently highlighted in the Connecticut Post. A correspondent for the paper attended the chocolate festival held at Madison School and spoke with students and teachers about their work with the Rainforest Alliance curricula.

Explore our third and fourth grade units for more delicious ideas that examine cacao production in Ecuador.

Fourth graders at Columbus School in Bridgeport, Connecticut had a unique opportunity to personally connect with students in classrooms in Latin America through an exciting scrapbook exchange. As part of an activity coordinated by Creative Connections, a non-profit international cultural exchange organization, in collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance, students designed and wrote scrapbook entries about their local environment and their lives in the United States.

When the Columbus School students received the scrapbooks from their friends in Latin America, they were surprised to learn about the many things they shared in common with students in Colombia and Panama, including interests, favorite foods and activities -- even though the Latin American children generally lived in remote and rural areas, often close to forests and national parks. Not only did the students learn about each other's lives, they shared ideas about the environment. United States students discovered, for example, that students in Latin America are also very concerned with protecting national resources and have a close tie to their forests and the amazing plants and animals that live there.

For more information on how your class can exchange scrapbooks with students in Latin America, read about Rainforest Connections.

The Edith Stevens Groundwater Educator Award recognizes individuals who inspire others to protect water resources. Candidates should be actively involved in the implementation of an educational program in a formal or informal setting. The deadline for submitting a nomination is July 14, 2006.

The Toshiba America Foundation provides grants to K-12th grade teachers to support inquiry-based projects that improve the quality of math and science education in the classroom. Grants are available to individual teachers or small teams of teachers. Applications for grants under $5,000 are accepted year-round. The deadline for grants over $5,000 is August 1, 2006.

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© 2006 Rainforest Alliance