New York, NY (December 18, 2008) — Today, Scholastic (SCHL) announced the launch of the 2009 Kids’ Environmental Report Card, an online survey of kids’ views on the environment, at www.scholastic.com/scienceexplorations. Kids are encouraged to weigh in on some of the biggest issues facing our world by answering 27 questions about everything from clean oceans to climate change, solar power to polar bears. The results will be announced in time for Earth Day, April 22, 2009.

The Kids’ Environmental Report Card is part of the Science Explorations program, a collaboration of Scholastic’s classroom magazines, SuperScience® (grades 3–6) and Science World®(grades 6–10), and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). In addition to sharing their views through the poll, kids can pose questions about the environment to be answered by scientists at AMNH each month. Each of the questions will be supplemented by multimedia content from Scholastic and AMNH, including interviews with the Museum’s scientists and curators, photographs, artifacts, and much more. Students and teachers can explore a range of topics such as ecotourism, preserving biodiversity, and reducing pollution.

“Kids have a lot to say about the job we’re doing as stewards of the environment, and the Kids’ Environmental Report Card gives them a chance to express themselves about these important topics,” said David Goddy, Vice President of Education at e-Scholastic. “With AMNH, we can provide students and educators with a hands-on way to investigate ecological issues, learn about careers in science, and expand their knowledge of the world around them.”

This marks the fourth year that Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, and the American Museum of Natural History, one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions, have joined together to promote science literacy among students in grades 3 through 10.

“Interest in the natural world and passion for conserving it is key to the mission of AMNH,” said Rosamond Kinzler, Senior Director of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology at AMNH. “Partnering with Scholastic is a powerful way for us to share this mission with kids across the country, in classrooms and on the Web.”

To learn more about the Kids’ Environmental Report Card or Science Explorations, go to www.scholastic.com/scienceexplorations.

For more information about the American Museum of Natural History, please visit www.amnh.org.

Contacts:
Jennifer Boggs, Scholastic, 212.343.6619 or jboggs@scholastic.com
Sara Sinek, Scholastic, 212.343.6899 or ssinek@scholastic.com