EduCon 2.4 in Philadelphia started last night with a panel discussion and one message from the esteemed group was “you need to fail to succeed”. Fail fast, fail often is the mantra of innovators! Too often, society impresses upon us that failure is just that, failure. However, in the world of innovation failure is required…

Green Ribbon Schools In a new Green Ribbon Schools program, the U.S. Department of Education is recognizing schools year that “save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, foster wellness, and offer environmental education to boost academic achievement and community engagement.” When we read the description of what a Green Ribbon School…

A few weeks ago, I saw the movie, New Year’s Eve. While it was cute, charming, and had a breezy plot (just what you would expect), the part that intrigued me the most was about the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball. I won’t spoil the movie for you, but part of the plot is that…

Nearly 70% of U.S. households have a tree prominently displayed inside their house this time of year. Some people choose to cut down real trees, while others use artificial trees. No matter what type of tree you have though, chances are that it is decorated with holiday lights. Strings of holiday lights aren’t just on…

NEED offers workshops across the United States and in some regions, thanks to the support of great sponsors, several workshops are offered to reach more teachers each year.  In the greater Chicago area, ComEd (the local electric company) supports teacher training and classroom materials for over 700 classroom teacher a year.  This means a lot of workshops and a lot of…

We all have heroes. People who influence our lives in such profound ways that they not only inspire us to do more, they inspire us to be more. When I met Mary Spruill I was inspired to be more because she showed me the possibility of having a career in the field of renewable energy.…