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Last year, more than 10,000 students (grades pre-K through 12), teachers, and visitors spent a rewarding, educational day at Temple University Ambler celebrating the importance of protecting the environment and preserving their future.
We’d like to invite you and your students to be a part of EarthFest 2013 — Friday, April 26, 2013. The event, sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University Ambler, will be held, rain or shine, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ambler campus. Please note that we will be continuing the event for an extra hour this year to help accommodate our visitors.
In 2013, EarthFest exhibitors and the Junior Flower Show will all be located on the campus side of Meetinghouse Road. See the event map for details!
Learn from more than 85 exhibitors! Enjoy Main Stage programming that includes the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Zoo, Wondergy, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo, and Sesame Place!
Get involved through interactive activities such as the EarthFest Passport! Or become an exhibitor yourself at an event that has become one of the largest celebrations of Earth Day on the East Coast!
Bring as many students as you like - some schools bring as few as 10; others and many as 300 or more! Make a day of it - bring a bagged lunch or purchase food at EarthFest!
TO VISIT EARTHFEST, ALL YOU NEED DO IS FILL OUT A SCHOOLS APPLICATION FORM! THERE IS NO FEE TO VISIT EARTHFEST!
PLEASE NOTE THAT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY IS AN APPROVED ENTITY FOR FIELD TRIPS AND OTHER PROGRAMS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA. THE PAPERWORK IS ON FILE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA RISK MANAGEMENT OFFICE.
If you have any difficulty downloading and printing the schools application document, please don't hesitate to contact Jim Duffy at 267-468-8108 or duffyj@temple.edu.
 Don't just visit EarthFest 2013, become a part of it!
At EarthFest, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools are invited to become exhibitors. Exhibiting is free for all schools.
Each year, more than a dozen schools from throughout the region exhibit at EarthFest and we're always happy to welcome more! Have an idea to share about protecting and preserving the environment? A general presentation about nature and natural habitats? A project about helping in your communities and promoting healthy living and sustainability? Bring it to EarthFest and share it with your fellow students and visitors!
Student exhibits are presented in a large exhibitors' tent right across from the Junior Flower Show. Have more than one group of students who would like to exhibit at EarthFest? We're happy to provide you with the space and other special needs, such as electricty, that you might need.
TO EXHIBIT AT EARTHFEST, SIMPLY INCLUDE YOUR EXHIBIT INFORMATION ON YOUR APPLICATION FORM!
If you have any difficulty downloading and printing the application form, please don't hesitate to contact Jim Duffy at 267-468-8108 or duffyj@temple.edu.
We are happy to be continuing our partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to offer their Junior Flower Show as part of a full day of interactive events and exhibits promoting environmental awareness and the use of sustainable concepts, methods, and practices to preserve our environment.
With so much emphasis on the American diet and sedentary life style, the 2013 Junior Flower Show theme, "Chew on This!" will encourage students to make healthy eating and active lifestyle choices.
We believe EarthFest and the Junior Flower Show are the perfect opportunity for area students, teachers, and families to get involved and work toward developing sustainable communities for today and tomorrow!
LEARN HOW TO PARTICPATE IN THE JUNIOR FLOWER SHOW.
For more information on the Junior Flower Show, contact Flossie Narducci at 215-988-8897 or fnarducci@pennhort.org.
DOWNLOAD EARTHFEST PASSPORT INSTRUCTIONS
Take a trip around EarthFest and the Kids Grow Expo!
The EarthFest Passport, an activity aimed at students from pre-K through 8th grade, encourages children to visit a variety of the more than 85 EarthFest exhibitors.
In order to save trees, we ask that you download the EarthFest 2013 Passport to print only what you need for your students. There are four variations per sheet, remember, and each student only needs one variation. (A group of 4 students needs just one sheet, a group of 32 students needs just 8 sheets.)
Please print/copy the sheets and cut them into individual Passports before arriving to EarthFest. You may also distribute them while in class or on the bus, to make things easier when you arrive to campus. It is also recommended that students write their names and schools on the Passports before arriving to the event.
To participate in the Passport activity, students simply locate the exhibitors listed on their Passports, visit those exhibits, and get their Passports stamped by the exhibitors. When all the squares are stamped on the Passport, the student should return it to EarthFest Passports Table (see event map). Please make sure the students’ names and schools are written on the Passports. Pencils will be available at the Information Tables.
After EarthFest, several completed Passports will be randomly selected to receive a special prize from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. That prize will be sent to the student’s school.
This program is an excellent opportunity to interact with our EarthFest and Kids Grow Expo exhibitors, and each other, and learn important information about the great work these organizations are doing.
We hope you will join us in making our educational programs a success!
For more information on the EarthFest Passport, contact Rachel Berger at 267-468-8107 or rmberger@temple.edu.
 There is a lot to see and do at EarthFest 2013 and the Junior Flower Show. Here are a few handy tips to plan your day!
Transportation:
- Please note: The Meetinghouse Road entrance into the large parking lot at Temple Ambler will be closed the day of EarthFest. Access into and out of the large parking lot will be by Woods Drive (the Butler Pike entrance/exit) only. Let your bus drivers know!
- Often other large events will be taking place in the region around the same time as EarthFest. If you need an outside bus vendor, make your arrangements early!
- Post a sign with your school name on the back of your bus and on the side by the main door of the bus. This will help your students find your bus at the end of the day.
- Make sure your students know what time your bus will be leaving and plan accordingly. Have your students ready at the bus pick-up area.
Preparation before arriving:
- Please let your students know that should they become lost or separated from your group that they should go to one of the INFORMATION booths indicated on the EarthFest event map. We suggest that you also provide them with a CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER so that we can reach you if students become separated from their groups.
- You may wish to have your class wear gym uniforms or the same color t-shirt. Have your students travel with “buddies” to ensure everyone returns to their bus at the proper time.
- There will be food and beverages for sale. However, with the number of visitors that attend EarthFest, we recommend that your students BRING THEIR LUNCHES for your convenience. You may wish to put all bagged lunches in a box and mark the outside of the box with your school’s name and grade. All lunches can be stored on designated tables in the Food Tent near the bus drop-off and pick-up area. There are plenty of locations for picnics on campus!
- Items, such as t-shirts, books, and food will be available for sale. Please let your students know that they will have opportunities to purchase souvenirs at the event.
- Have students bring a backpack! Please help us make EarthFest and the Junior Flower Show as green as possible. Many exhibitors have important information that students can take with them and share with their parents and fellow students. Bring along a backpack to store all of your EarthFest and Junior Flower Show materials!
- Students have the opportunity to take part in a fun-filled interactive program — the EarthFest Passport, which will take students on a journey throughout the event. Download and print the EarthFest Passport at the EarthFest Website. We strongly encourage you to print your passports ahead of time and distribute them as students get off the bus. Extra passports will be available at EarthFest.
When you arrive:
- The EarthFest Main Stage is located toward the back of campus. It may take you a little while to walk there, so plan accordingly and don’t miss out on our great Main Stage programs, which begin promptly at 9:45 a.m.!
- The EarthFest Main Stage events for 2013 will include The Philadelphia Zoo, Wondergy, The Franklin Institute, the Elmwood Park Zoo, the presentation of Commitment to Sustainability Award and the Awards for the winners of the Junior Flower Show, and more. That's in addition to our more than 85 exhibitors, the Junior Flower Show, and much more! See the Main Stage Schedule for more information!
- Please remind children that Temple students will be attending classes that day. Children should remain with their chaperones at all times and not wander through the buildings. EarthFest visitors are NOT permitted inside the classroom buildings.
- There will be trash and recycling receptacles located throughout the campus. Please think environmentally and keep our campus clean! Make sure your students throw away any trash in the proper containers.
 In order to make EarthFest as enjoyable as possible, we would like to provide you with the necessary information for travel and parking ahead of time. Please read the following tips and share them with the other teachers/chaperones on your bus.
Please note: There are often other large events taking place in the region around the time of EarthFest. If you use an outside bus company for your travel needs, make your arrangements early!
Because of the volume of buses on our parking lot the day of EarthFest, and since most school buses look nearly identical, there may be some difficulties in locating your bus when you are ready to take the children back to their school. To make your bus easier to identify, two signs will be provided with the name of your school to post on the back window and side of your bus. Decorate them in any way you like — make it a classroom project with an environmental theme!
- We unfortunately do not have the means to contact the bus drivers ahead of time. We ask that you provide the included information under “Bus Tips for Bus Drivers” to the driver so that he/she may read it over before you depart.
- Double check with the bus driver as to what time you need to bring the children back to the bus.
- Go over with the children what they should do if they get separated or lost at EarthFest (have them go to one of the Information Tables marked on the event map).
We suggest that you also provide them with a CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER so that we can reach you if students become separated from their groups.
- Make sure you post your signs on the bus. Tape one sign on the window near the main door. Tape the second on the emergency door in the rear, towards the bottom of the door so it is not blocking the driver’s view. Please ask the bus driver for permission to tape the signs inside the bus.
- Ask the bus driver if the school bus is going to be staying on our lot for the day or if the bus is dropping your group off and coming back to pick you up. This is a very important detail that needs to be decided before you leave your school.
- Make sure the bus driver knows the only entrance/exit for EarthFest will be from Butler Pike.
If your bus is dropping off the children, leaving, and returning later in the day:
The bus will drop you off alongside the field for EarthFest. Please mention to your children that they need to stay calm (no pushing, shoving, or running) when getting off the bus and when getting back on the bus. When the bus comes back to pick up your group, it may not be located in the exact spot where you were dropped off due to the number of buses picking up the children at the same time. Your bus should be located somewhere along the edge of the grass. The signs provided will help you identify your bus. We will have staff on hand to help you find your bus if needed.
If your bus is staying on our lot for the day:
- Your bus is going to pull into the parking spot first. Once the bus is parked in the spot where it will stay for the day, you will be able to escort the children off the bus.
- If your bus is parked facing the ball fields, escort the children off the bus and walk forward to the gravel sidewalk, which will lead you to EarthFest. We will have staff on hand to make sure you lead the children in the correct direction.
- If your bus is parked facing the parking lot, escort the children off the bus and towards the rear of the bus, across and between the other parked buses, and continue on until you reach the gravel sidewalk, which will lead you to EarthFest. We will have staff on hand to make sure you lead the children in the correct direction.
- At the end of the day when you are ready to leave, please stay on the grass until you have all of your children accounted for. Then escort your children to your bus. This time you will approach the bus from the rear. Please make sure your children load the bus in a single line, staying away from the front of the buses. Once the bus driver has confirmed everyone on the bus is accounted for, the bus will then pull out and head back to your school.
We do not want anyone by the ball field located next to where the buses park for the day. The reason is simply a safety issue. Since the ball field is located next to the area where the buses pull out, we don’t want the children accidently stepping in this area. For the safety of the children, we ask that you stay away from the ball field.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PARKING AT EARTHFEST.
 If your bus IS NOT staying for the day (returning later to pick up):
- When you are dropped off in the morning, your bus will pull up to the edge of the grass in front of EarthFest. In the afternoon, we are expecting about 30 to 40 buses so there may be a line of buses waiting to pick up the various groups. Please make sure you are able to identify your bus and that your entire group is accounted for and ready to board the bus when it pulls up..
- Please make sure your students are staying clear of any other bus. Students should not be playing near or around the buses.
If your bus IS staying on our parking lot for the day:
- The students should remain calm while exiting the bus and walk in an orderly fashion until they reach EarthFest. No pushing, shoving or running on the pavement or around buses at any time.
- Please do not leave anything on the bus. The buses will not be accessible until you are ready to leave.
- If your bus is parked facing the ball fields (facing away from the parking lot), escort the students off the bus, heading past the front of the bus and forward to the gravel sidewalk which will lead you to EarthFest. We will have staff on hand to make sure you lead the students in the correct direction.
- If your bus is parked facing the parking lot, escort the students off the bus and past the rear of the bus, across and between the other parked buses, and continue on until you reach the gravel sidewalk which will lead you to EarthFest. We will have staff on hand to make sure you lead the students in the correct direction.
- At the end of the day when you are ready to leave, please stay on the grass until you have ALL of your students accounted for. Then escort students to the bus. This time you will approach the bus from the rear. Please make sure your students load the bus in a single line, staying away from the front of the buses. Once the bus driver has confirmed everyone that should be on the bus is accounted for, the bus will then be able to pull out and head back to your school.
To involve as many students in the region as possible, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Temple University Ambler have collaborated to create the Transportation Angels program for schools in need of funding for transportation to and from EarthFest.
Please note that Transportation Angels funding is meant for schools with genuine economic need. We encourage all schools to pursue alternative means of transportation funding with local businesses or organizations to ensure that funding is available for as many schools as possible.
PLEASE NOTE THAT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY IS AN APPROVED ENTITY FOR FIELD TRIPS AND OTHER PROGRAMS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA. THE PAPERWORK IS ON FILE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA RISK MANAGEMENT OFFICE.
DOWNLOAD A TRANSPORTATION ANGELS APPLICATION.
 Area schools have become an even greater part of the event with each year!
During EarthFest 2013, an area school, student organization, or educator is presented with the “EarthFest Commitment to Sustainability Award.” The award is presented during our EarthFest Main Stage events.
“There are so many students doing incredible things at a grassroots level that, each year, we want to take the opportunity to recognize their achievements,” said EarthFest Coordinator Susan Spinella. “Our primary goal with EarthFest is education. While we are able to bring a diverse group of students, educators, and exhibitors together each year to celebrate a common cause, students at schools throughout the region are teaching their peers — and in many cases their parents — how they can ensure sustainable communities for today and tomorrow.”
The 2013 recipient is the Methacton High School Electric Car Club.
“Everybody’s very excited to be receiving this award. As an organization, it reinforces our message — each year we engage in projects that show there is always a better way, a more environmentally sensitive way,” said Methacton Electric Car Club advisor Steve Savitz. “What is wonderful to see at an event like EarthFest is our club members becoming the teachers. They are able to share what they’ve been working on all year and show that it can be applied on a large scale basis or right in someone’s own home.”
At EarthFest, the Methacton Electric Car Club will have their electric car — The Lorax — on hand, and will explain how it works and how it is charged with solar power. The club will also bring a second vehicle along for the first time, according to Savitz.
“With the Lorax, the students are close to reaching their goal of being able to go 100 miles on a single charge,” he said. “Our biggest project this year, however, is our second vehicle, an old Tastykake truck that we are working to convert to running on vegetable oil. We’ll be turning the truck into a mobile classroom for renewable energy.”
If you would like to nominate a school, student organization, or educator for the 2014 Commitment to Sustainability Award, please contact Jim Duffy at 267-468-8108 or duffyj@temple.edu.
    
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