Protect Our Winters and The North Face Launch Student Climate Education Program

Protect Our Winters (POW)©

Protect Our Winters and The North Face Launch Student Climate Education ProgramHot Planet/Cool Athletes Kicks Off 2014 School Year With Addition of New Grants Program

Pacific Palisades, CA (October 29, 2014) – Protect Our Winters (POW) is proud to announce the launch of this school year’s edition of their successful Hot Planet/Cool Athletes climate assembly program. But this year, they added a new component: the addition of a grants program providing students with an incentive to bring their own climate-fighting ideas to life for their school.

The Powder Grants program kicks off today, with the submission process ending on November 29th, 2014. This new program will award four, $5,000 grants to middle school and high school students and faculty representatives, to help bring climate solutions-oriented projects to life in schools across North America.

To engage with the grant program, students are invited to join one of four groups led by professional athletes. Each athlete leads a specific environmental cause of personal interest to them, providing leadership and inspiration to the students, ultimately choosing the recipient of a Powder Grant in their own category.

 • Changing Habits: Marie France Roy
• Community Engagement: Brody Leven
• Waste Reduction: Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
• Energy Efficiency: Ralph Backstrom

The Powder Grants program runs in conjunction with the Hot Planet/Cool Athletes multi-media assemblies that are delivered by professional snow sports athletes at middle and high schools. Designed to utilize these powerful influencers to educate teens on climate change and empowering them to make a difference, the HP/CA assemblies present climate science basics, the effects on winter sports and mountain communities, and personal and inspirational stories from the athletes about solutions.

Since its launch in 2011, Hot Planet/Cool Athletes assemblies have reached approximately 24,000 students at 71 different middle schools and high schools across North America.

“We’re very excited about this year’s climate assembly and having a really unique mechanism to keep the students engaged post-assembly. Athletes are incredibly influential in our community and the Powder Grants program gives them the opportunity to continue their influence outside the classroom,” said POW’s Executive Director Chris Steinkamp.

Schools and/or students interested in learning more, hosting an assembly or showing the Hot Planet/Cool Athletes DVD can do so through the new website http://www.hotplanetcoolathletes.com.

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MEDIA CONTACTSChris Steinkamp / Executive Director, Protect Our Winters / 310-909-7941

About The North Face®

The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered in Alameda, Calif., the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company’s products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running, and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains.

Visit http://www.thenorthface.com

About Protect Our Winters

Founded in 2007 by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones, Protect Our Winters is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and mobilize the winter sports community to lead the fight against climate change. Our focus is on educational initiatives, advocacy and support of community-based projects.

To find out more about Protect Our Winters, please visit us at http://www.protectourwinters.org


Source Protect Our Winters (POW)©