This is the GreenSTART program calendar from commencement through the end of 2008.

INTRODUCTION TO SCHOOL PRINCIPALS & SCHOOL GREEN TEAMS: Outreach by the EPC about the program to all ten Atherton school principals. Introductory meeting with school leadership teams, hosted by Menlo School, with presentations made by green team leaders from the Atherton schools representated. Sign-ups for GreenSTART email list and assignment of program liasons for the schools, along with a presentation discussion of the GreenSTART program details. Receive confirmations of interest and finalize details. Formation of the communication vehicle "GreenSTART@yahoogroups.com" for the purposes of communicating news and updates and answering questions about the program with liasons and school leadership teams.

Click here to join our GreenSTART@yahoogroups email group, if you are not already signed on.

February 25: PROGRAM LAUNCH: New GreenSTART web site is unveiled to the community, with information about the entire program hosted on the AthertonGreen web site, at www.athertongreen.net (click on the GreenSTART link). Program fliers finalized and printed and preparations completed for the design of the School GreenSTART Packs. These are packages with a complete set of forms and program information, to help each school get started (plus, all information also made available on the web site). School teams are contacted and community promotion begins. Students and their project sponsors begin to develop their project ideas, getting teams together and filling out their registration forms for the EPC.

SCHOOL PACKS DELIVERED TO THE SCHOOLS - March 3rd: School packs are hand delivered to each school and final contact with liaisons made. Fliers begin to be posted at the schools and announcements listed in online school newsletters.

STUDENT PROJECT REGISTRATIONS: Project registrations commence. All registered projects get listed by school on the web site. Deadline for student project registrations will be April 15, 2008. After this date, no more projects will be accepted.

RESIDENT PARTICIPATION REGISTRATION: Residents start assessing their family carbon footprint and begin registering as participants, sending in their Resident Participation Forms and GreenSTART donations. Resident participation and donations are also tracked on the web site. Please register in advance to ensure that there is a Vote Card provided for you and your family members.

TOWN RECRUITS PROGRAM SPONSORS: Sponsorships are lined up to support program activities and all funds received are tracked and the amounts tallied and applied to prizes and funding.

STUDENTS DEVELOP PROJECT PRESENTATIONS: Students who have registered begin work on their projects, by doing their designs, analyses, assessing their needs, completing their Project Summaries and designing their presentations for the GreenSTART Fair. (Note: Students may but do not need to have executed or commenced the projects before the Fair!) Completed Project Summary Forms are due by email to the EPC by April 30th, 2008.

PROJECT SUMMARY FORMS SUBMITTED: The electronic Project Summary Forms for each project are due by April 30th. Submission of this form by email will guarantee you a spot at the GreenSTART Fair. All registered projects with a completed Project Summary Form will get a table upon which to display their project at the fair, along with chairs and a tablecloth. Only projects presented at the fair will qualify for the GreenSTART prizes.

GreenSTART FAIR: The GreenSTART Fair will take place on Sunday, May 4th, 2008 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. This is the opportunity for the community and participating residents to view the students' projects and vote on their favorite ones. Winners will be selected through voting by GreenSTART participants and by members of the EPC. Organic food and drinks, as well as musical entertainment by the Banana Slugs String Band is planned for the fair. Winners of the GreenSTART environmental competition will be announced at the fair after the entertainment, at approximately 4:45 pm. The fair ends at approximately 5:00 pm. (Students should plan to get to Holbrook-Palmer Park at noon, to find their table locations and set their presentations up!)

PRIZES AND AWARDS GIVEN OUT AT COUNCIL MEETING: Following the fair, full details of winning projects will be posted on the web site. Prizes and awards will be given out by the Atherton Mayor and City Council at the May City Council meeting on May 15th, 2008 (if we can meet the submission deadline). The alternative date will be the June Council meeting, on June 18th, 2008.

PROJECT FUNDING AWARDS: Based upon the project eligibility determined by the project voting, as well as final tallies for monies raised by the GreenSTART Fund, project funding awards will be announced and results posted on the web site. Students may elect to start their projects at any time, continue with ongoing projects or wait to launch projects at the start of the new school year, based upon their capabilities, as well as their need and eligibility for project funding.

PROJECT FUNDING CONTINUES: As students execute on their projects, funding commitments will be provided on a rolling basis by the EPC through the end of the year. This program will be repeated next year, with additonal funding!