Old computers can be dropped off at Green Bank, 4000 Greenbriar at US 59 until Tuesday, January 12.Most old computers still have life in them. By donating to Techs & Trainers, www.techsandtrainers.org, your outdated machine is refurbished for a special-needs Houstonian. Machines that can’t be repaired are dismantled for parts and safely recycled locally.

Techs and Trainers is a Houston-based non-profit organization that provides meaningful work for people with barriers to employment, supplies computers to those with special needs and creates environmentally friendly solutions for old computers. (713) 839-7177.

Read about one winner in the Houston Business Journal.

Recently, she camped out to raise awareness — read more at the Houston Chronicle.

Houston, Texas, October 28, 2009 – The Citizens’ Environmental Coalition (CEC) of Houston has announced the honorees of its 12^th annual Synergy Awards. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that are creating positive environmental change and improving the quality of life for everyone in the Houston-Galveston area. This year, 13 awards have been given in 10 categories, including Conservation, Sustainable Planning and Corporate Awareness. The CEC will host a luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Houston Racquet Club to celebrate the work of the honorees.
“The CEC created these awards specifically to honor the hard-working unsung heroes of Houston’s environmental movement—those who work day in and day out, often as volunteers– and actually make change in our community,” says Rachel Powers, CEC Board President.

This year’s Government Award winner is Andy Sipocz, wetlands biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.  Sipocz has spent his career creating and conserving critically needed wetlands in the Gulf Coast area.  Wetlands play a vital role in protecting coastal ecosystems: cleaning waterways, protecting shorelines from severe weather and providing wildlife habitat. One of Sipocz’s recent projects involved the development of a series of wetland ponds at Brays Bayou. Studies have shown that the new wetland is alreadyeffectively cleaning the waterway—increasing oxygen levels and decreasing bacteria counts.

The Corporate Awareness Award goes to Keatingrove Farms, the only certified organic farm in Harris County, located west of Tomball.  Here local residents can purchase seasonal, locally grown, organic produce.  As a USDA certified organic farm, Keatingrove has met rigorous requirements, including no use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or genetically modified organisms, and keeps detailed records of all the products used on the farm.  Keatingrove Farms is also known for the cultivation of heirloom and other unique plant varieties. This practice helps to safeguard genetic diversity and thus the ecological health of food crops.   

Josetta Hawthorne, Executive Director of the Council for Environmental Education, is the winner of this year’s Environmental Education Award.  One of Hawthorne’s most important projects is a national urban environmental education program called WET in the City. This program is a multi-disciplinary, hands-on urban water education curriculum that engages K-12 students typically underserved by environmental education.  Students learn about the complex issues surrounding water management and stewardship and study topics such as environmental justice, lead in drinking water, urban flooding, brownfields and urban fishing. The Wet in the City program is currently being offered in 12 Houston-area and 2 Galveston-area schools.

About the Citizen’s Environmental Coalition

The Citizens’ Environmental Coalition (CEC) is an alliance of diverse nonprofit, governmental, and educational organizations whose activities impact our environment and quality of life in the Houston-Galveston area. Our greater than 100 member organizations cover a broad spectrum, including professional associations, conservation groups, and activists. For more information about the CEC and the other winners of the Synergy Awards, visit www.cechouston.org

Opening a school that teaches green building skills is something to smile about.  Picture at the ribbon-cutting are Tim Gillespie, senior vice president, Green Bank; Richard Halpin, American YouthWorks founder and chief vision officer; Margarine Beaman, American YouthWorks board chairperson; U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin.

Green Bank, N.A., teamed up with American YouthWorks to provide the loan for a new “green” campus.  The larger facility houses the non-profit organization’s award-winning Austin charter school for at-risk youth.   American YouthWorks is expanding its “green collar” job training programs and its new leading-edge curriculum focused on green construction skills, engineering and management.

A ribbon-cutting was held on September 28.  Rep. Lloyd Doggett, along with a number of Central Texas dignitaries and Green Bank executives, joined American YouthWorks for the ceremony and toured the new campus. Green Bank sponsored the reception following the event.

“American YouthWorks’ is building strong communities with a commitment to the environment,” explains Tim Gillespie, senior vice president, commercial banking at Green Bank. “The new campus prepares at-risk youth for careers in an important and growing job sector.  When American YouthWorks’ students graduate, they have real opportunities and skills that are in demand.”

In addition to loan funding, Gillespie has been a long-time supporter of American YouthWorks.  Recently, he served on fundraising committees and is working with the non-profit to provide banking education classes to budding entrepreneurs.

“The ability to purchase this building and undertake an energy saving retrofit will dramatically reduce the energy usage of the campus. It also serves as a living classroom for teaching students the skills they will need to pursue green jobs,” said Melinda Wheatley, acting CEO, American YouthWorks. “In order to give students the best ‘real world’ training, we have teamed up with the Building Owners and Managers Association, Austin affiliate, and the Austin Association of Facility and Maintenance Engineers to train at-risk youths for green building management and engineering careers.”

American YouthWorks’ new campus is a hands-on classroom, teaching the next generation of builders to install contemporary green building products.  The 30,000-square-foot facility also received a grant from the Economic Development Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The state-of-the-art building is slated to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold designation. The LEED rating system was developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).  The point-based “green building” rating system encourages sustainable design and implementation.  It has been accepted world-wide as a leading method to quantify and qualify resource and well-being conscious home and building design and construction.

Founded in 1976, American YouthWorks is dedicated to helping at-risk youth obtain the necessary skills, training and mentoring to become productive members of the community.  American YouthWorks offers a variety of support and education programs, which enable students to not only, obtain a diploma but real world hands on training through community volunteer projects.