KARNS CITY, Pa., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Go Organic! for Earth Day(TM) campaign, an award-winning project of MusicMatters, Earth Day Network and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) that educates and increases consumer awareness of the benefits of organic food and agriculture, announced the winner of its Organic Curriculum Contest for K-12 teachers. Nancy Lendyak of Karns City High School in Karns City, PA., entered the winning curriculum and will be honored today at 2 p.m. in a surprise ceremony.
The Organic Curriculum Contest, which kicked off in February, gave teachers nationwide an opportunity to submit curriculum with lesson plans focused on organic dairy, soy, whole grains, fruit and vegetables. Entries were judged on their ability to make a clear connection between organic farm practices and the benefit to human and environmental health.
"The main objective of the Go Organic! for Earth Day campaign is to educate the public on the benefits of going organic," said Michael Martin, Prez of MusicMatters. "Go Organic! created this contest to reward teachers and obtain educational materials that we could make available to teachers nationwide. The winning curriculum discusses the advantages of organic farming in a fun and creative format that can be taught in today's classrooms."
Beginning December 15, teachers can request a copy of the award-winning curriculum through the campaign's Web site, http://www.organicearthday.org/. Teachers and students can also use the Web site to learn about organic farming and production, test their organic knowledge and play interactive games.
"The Organic Trade Association is pleased to recognize Lendyak nationally for her outstanding submission and to award students with delicious organic products to share and sample with their families," said Caren Wilcox, executive director of OTA.
The Go Organic! Curriculum Contest Award will be presented to Lendyak in a surprise ceremony at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Karns City High School auditorium. The school's staff and 849 students will bring home a certified 100 percent biodegradable and compostable BioBag filled with a sampling of organic food from campaign sponsors, including Organic Valley, R.W. Knudsen Family, Santa Cruz Organic, Earthbound Farm, Annie's, Inc., Stonyfield Farm, Stemilt, and Clif Kid.
Each year the Go Organic! for Earth Day campaign is underwritten by leading organic brands such as CLIF Bar & Co., Barbara's Bakery, Earthbound Farm, Horizon Organic, Nature's Path Foods, Organic Valley Family of Farms, R.W. Knudsen Family, Santa Cruz Organic, Van's, Lifeway, Stonyfield Farm, Country Choice, So Delicious, and Stemilt.
"We are thrilled to be able to share this award-winning content with teachers across the U.S.," said Sean Miller, Director of Education at Earth Day Network. "Providing information on organic food to students has great potential to make a difference in their homes, their communities and our world."
To obtain the winning curriculum and to learn more about the 2008 Go Organic! for Earth Day campaign, visit, http://www.organicearthday.org/.
MusicMatters is a client-focused experiential marketing firm with headquarters in Minneapolis and a team of Brand Activists(TM) in every major market. MusicMatters' mission is to create a better world by partnering with values-led businesses to produce targeted, socially responsible, and entertainment-based brand experiences, marketing initiatives, and products.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its 1,600 members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy. OTA offers several sources of information online including http://www.howtogoorganic.com/, which is especially for farms and other businesses interested in offering organic products.
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