Forty Thousand Children “Stepped Up” for the Environment

March 26, 2010 - PRLog -- KING OF PRUSSIA, PA - On Friday, March 26, more than 40,000 children from  
350 Goddard Schools http://www.goddardschool.com nationwide turned off the lights and stepped up for the environment. As part of Earth Hour 2010, students participated in a number of engaging activities to spread the message that by working together, each one of them can make a positive impact toward a sustainable future.

Throughout the week, children and teachers participated in a variety of fun activities, games and lessons designed to increase their awareness of how energy use and daily activities can affect the future of the planet and how they can conserve energy in their daily lives. Classes built musical instruments out of recycled materials and held newspaper fashion shows using costumes that students created from old newspapers, magazines and paper bags.

The children also “greened” their communities by planting trees and picking up trash around school grounds. They also created invitations asking parents and neighboring buildings to join them in Earth Hour, as well as city officials and environmental leaders.

“We think this was a great way for children to learn, in a hands-on manner, the importance of saving energy and protecting the environment,” said Joseph Schumacher, CEO of Goddard Systems, Inc. “Students were able to involve both their families and the community to create awareness about this important global call to action.”

Participation in Earth Hour supports Goddard Systems, Inc.’s ongoing efforts and commitment to the environment.  Recently, Goddard has become involved with Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) which give schools the option of purchasing wind energy credits, offsetting 100% of a schools electricity usage with clean, renewable wind power.




About Goddard Systems, Inc. www.goddardschool.com
Recently named #1 Childcare Franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine, for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales), by Franchise Times for the second consecutive year (October 2008), Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI) is expanding The Goddard School® network throughout the United States. Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, GSI currently licenses 350+ franchised schools with more than 40,000 students in 37 states. With a successful system in place and dedicated franchisees, GSI is the acknowledged leader in franchised childcare and a premier childcare provider in the United States. Goddard is owned by Wind River Holdings, L.P.

About EARTH HOUR:
Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour has captured the world’s imagination becoming a global phenomenon. Last year, for Earth Hour 2009 nearly one billion people in 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents turned out. In the U.S. alone, 80 million Americans and 318 cities officially voted for action with their light switch. These people and municipalities were joined by iconic landmarks including: the Las Vegas Strip, the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings in New York City, the Space Needle in Seattle, Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple in Salt Lake City, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the National Cathedral in Washington DC.  International landmarks that turned off their lights included the Great Pyramids of Giza, Parthenon in Athens, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London, Paris’ Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower, Beijing’s Birds Nest and Water Cube, Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong, Sydney’s Opera House and Christ de Redeemer status in Rio de Janeiro.

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Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, Goddard Systems, Inc. currently licenses 350+ franchised schools in more than 37 states. GSI is the acknowledged leader in franchised childcare and a premier childcare provider in the United States.