EMA February Newsletter
To kick off our 30th year anniversary, EMA is proud to award its first ever EMA School Garden Grants. The grants are sponsored by City National Bank, America’s Premier Private and Business Bank®. In December, we launched a two-tiered grant competition for Los Angeles schools to help students benefit from shared urban garden experiences and inspire them to take action on behalf of nature. This year’s winners include:
$5000 EMA School Garden Grant Winner
Carthay Environmental Studies Magnet
$1000 EMA School Garden Grant Winners
University High School
Playa Del Rey Elementary
Westminster Elementary Math & Technology/Environmental Magnet
EMA Board Member Drew Scott and the EMA team at a recent school garden workday
"We are overjoyed to receive this grant, which will bring Carthay students’ environmental education and interactions to the next level,” said Caterina Mercante, PTA President of Carthay Environmental Studies Magnet, in response to the school taking home the top prize. “The EMA grant funds allow us to expand native pollinator gardens and provide interactive experiences, which will be accessible to all students throughout the school day. Through the creation of Wildlife Gardening Stations, students will have daily opportunities to enhance their observation skills as they study butterflies, silkworms, bees, birds, bats and other insects.”
All Los Angeles schools (ranging from the kindergarten to high school level) that were active in the EMA Garden Program were eligible to participate in the competition. Schools were evaluated based on their existing or planned garden site, strength of student, parent and staff involvement, and how their garden is utilized to enhance education. Submissions were first reviewed by EMA and then the top applicants were sent to a panel of three judges for further assessment.
Judges included EMA Board members Amy Smart and Lance Bass and Jennifer Nickerson, City National Bank’s corporate citizenship manager.
“I chose Carthay Elementary as the recipient for the $5,000 grant because they are going to use the money to create new habitat stations for wildlife, including bees which are so incredibly vital for everything! I chose Westminster Elementary as the recipient for the $1,000 grant because it is a predominately low-income community of students. Having a garden teaches them about clean and healthy food and provides the children with the skills to be able to not only implement a school garden but take those skills and bring them home. They also have an All-School garden salad day which is a really nice way to provide lunch to the students who cannot afford it,” said Lance Bass, Co-Chair of the EMA Executive Board.
“City National is proud to support the EMA School Garden Grant winners in their inspiring plans to expand environmental literacy programs at their schools,” said City National’s Jennifer Nickerson. “The grants will help to educate students about healthy eating, provide our communities with increased access to nature, and beautify our city’s schools.”
EMA continues to directly support LA school gardens through the EMA School Garden Program established in 2009. By means of corporate and public funding along with celebrity mentoring, more than 20 LA gardens have benefited from the program. With the help of City National Bank, EMA plans to expand to more schools in LA, with a vision to bring the program to every major city in the nation.
EMA has always believed that the business community plays a crucial role in saving our planet. That's why we've partnered with many companies that share our values, including a twenty-year strong partnership with Toyota Motor North America. EMA has also always stressed collaboration, which is why we established the EMA Corporate Board. Each business on our Board brings a unique perspective of the environmental challenges their industries face and what they are doing to overcome them.
To bring these ideas together around EMA and its events and programs, we hosted our second annual Corporate Board retreat at the Ojai Valley Inn, California. The retreat was filled with comradery, ideas, optimism, and progress. From developing EMA's outreach to the youth movement to rethinking and improving our iconic events, the retreat was incredibly productive and covered a lot of ground.
We want to thank our incredible Corporate Board Members in attendance! Lance Bass, EMA Executive Board Co-Chair; Kacey Bruno, Vice President of Communications, Montage International; Noah Gonzalez, Head of West Coast Communications at H&M; Abi Kammerzell, US Lead of Sustainability at H&M; Becky Martin, Manager, Environmental Sustainability Toyota; Jennifer Nickerson, SVP of Corporate Citizenship, City National Bank; Pamela Spyrs, Earth Friendly Products PR consultant; Mike Sullivan, Owner of LAcarGUY Family of Dealerships; Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President and CEO at Earth Friendly Products; and Jason Waggoner, President of Star Waggons.
Meet and collaborate with our EMA Corporate Board Members at our upcoming EMA IMPACT Summit!
From robots that save millions of gallons of water to healthy candies that reduce food waste, we've seen some incredible ideas at our Innovator Challenge. We are thrilled to announce that the fourth annual EMA Innovator of the Year Challenge is open for submissions! Please help us find important innovations by spreading the word and sharing our submissions page.
Submissions are due by Friday, March 13th!
EMA IMPACT, a premier two-day sustainable business Summit in Los Angeles, is about the tremendous potential of a green economy. IMPACT covers every aspect of getting game-changing innovations to the public as quickly as possible. From scientists and entrepreneurs with actionable solutions to corporate leaders ready to implement and influencers eager to raise awareness, IMPACT is the only green business summit where you'll find every critical element in one room. At IMPACT, we challenge our exclusive group of attendees to network, brainstorm and develop plans that will help our planet, health, and economy.
Last year, we had standing room only for many of our panels and presentations. We encourage you to secure your spot in the room EARLY, so you don't miss out!
For anyone who has attended our EMA IMPACT Summit, you know that we get some kick-ass speakers who are out there saving the environment. While we are all blown away by their conversations, speeches, and innovations during IMPACT, they're all up to impressive projects year-round. For this reason, we've launched our EMA IMPACT Network blog to help you keep track of all the exciting announcements, achievements, and stories from our IMPACT speakers and sponsors. We'll also share updates related to the 2020 IMPACT Summit, including speaker announcements, so check back often.
If you are part of our IMPACT Network and have a story to share, please email jay@ema-online.org.
Harvard C-CHANGE Youth Climate Summit
Do you know a high school student looking to get more involved in Climate Action? Check out our partner Harvard C-CHANGE's newest collaboration with Putney Student Travel. This one-week summer program, Harvard C-CHANGE Youth Climate Summit, is perfect for motivated high school students who are passionate about addressing climate change. Click here to learn more and register!
EMA CEO Talks Sustainability on the 'Ladies Like Us' Podcast
EMA CEO, Debbie Levin sat down with Nazanin and Nadia of the popular 'Ladies Like Us' podcast to talk about all things sustainability. Debbie shares her tips on how everyone can reduce their carbon footprint.
Social Sunday Highlights
Each Sunday, the EMA community shares an optimistic story on social media. From a new plastic ban to a conservation win, these stories are meant to give people hope among a news cycle that's too often doom and gloom. Click the images below to share!
Our mission is to provide a unified voice for our planet through
entertainment, storytelling, and education.
Click here for AmazonSmile and then search Environmental Media Association from its list of organizations. For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate to EMA, which will help fund our ongoing programs.