CBS & EcoZone(R) Call for San Francisco Entries in Their Green Schools Initiative

EcoMedia, a leading environmental media company, and the CBS Corporation today kicked off the CBS and EcoZone(R) Green Schools Initiative in San Francisco. One winning public school from the San Francisco Unified School District will receive a green makeover overseen by a professional "green schools coach." Approximately $250,000 is planned to be spent in the San Francisco Unified School District as part of this Green Schools Initiative. EcoMedia and CBS were joined by San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Superintendent Carlos Garcia, and newly-appointed SFUSD Director of Sustainability Nik Kaestner, in a call for entries from schools in San Francisco. The Green Schools Initiative kicked off in Miami last week with a call for entries there and continued to rollout across the country with today's kickoff in San Francisco.

"The EcoZone Green Schools Initiative trains our young people to be more active, involved and engaged in the environment," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "We have an obligation to provide them with the knowledge and understanding necessary to become the next generation of environmental leaders."

"This initiative, like our Environmental Service Learning Program, helps us deliver on our commitment to teach our students what it truly means to be environmentally responsible," said Superintendent Garcia. "Participating schools, their students, teachers and administrators will have the opportunity to experience firsthand what it means to be stewards of their environment."

"We are proud that this effort will help increase environmental awareness with students across the country, while also challenging them to explore concrete ways to improve our environment," said Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation. "We look forward to the entries from students, teachers and administrators, and are pleased to highlight them across our broad range of media assets."

"Together with our partner CBS, we've created a new model for advertising," said Paul Polizzotto, Founder and CEO of EcoMedia. "By providing funding for environmental projects and technologies through the sale of advertising, our media can be procured and sourced like any other sustainable product. Now, in addition to energy saving light bulbs and recycled paper, the simple everyday purchase of advertising can be part of a corporation's ongoing sustainability initiatives."

EcoMedia has secured pre-sale sponsorships from a cross-section of traditional and non-traditional advertisers including Microsoft, TCP, O Organics, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Like all EcoMedia programs, the Green Schools Initiative is only made possible by the sponsors who purchase media through the world class advertising assets offered by EcoMedia and its media partners, including CBS, Kimco Realty, Worldwide Pants, and KIWI Magazine. A significant portion of these sponsors' media dollars will help fund the makeovers.

"We're proud to help lead this extraordinary effort to create 'green' schools where students can learn real-world lessons on environmental responsibility simply by looking at the classrooms around them," said Ellis Yan, CEO, TCP, Inc, official lighting sponsor. "This is a shining example of how the public and private sectors can work together to inspire America's youth to make smart decisions that will help protect our planet."

Additional opportunities for sponsor involvement with the Green Schools initiative are available in San Francisco, Miami and the other markets where calls for entries will be launched over the next few weeks. EcoMedia and CBS expect this innovative public-private partnership to continue expanding to award green makeovers to schools across the country.

Students, teachers and administrators can enter the Green Schools Initiative by submitting a creative response that expresses what "being green" means to them, as well as filling out an application at www.ecozonemedia.com/greenmyschool. Winners will be chosen by a committee consisting of members of EcoMedia's Advisory Board, including USGBC, NOAA, EPA/Energy Star, Waterkeeper Alliance, city and school officials, corporate sponsors, and members of the CBS Corporation, and will be announced in January 2009.

"Green schools are a powerful demonstration of our commitment to our children's future," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, "and it's the best way to show the next generation how we can all make a difference in this world. We are excited about today's announcement of the EcoMedia and CBS Green Schools Initiative in San Francisco as another important demonstration of how we can leverage the creativity and influence of the media and local governments to deliver measurable, meaningful improvements for our environment and the students of our nation."

"As one of the Nation's premier environmental science agencies, NOAA is proud to support the Green School's Initiative," said Jack Dunnigan, Assistant Administrator for NOAA. "Environmental awareness is the thread that binds the wise use of our natural resources together with the strength of our economy. NOAA is proud to join with EcoZone as part of a partnership between industry and government to educate the public and promote improved awareness and action to benefit our environment."

"Empowering teachers and students to reduce their carbon footprint is critical to protecting our environment," said Nancy McFadden, Senior Vice President Public Affairs of PG&E. "PG&E is proud to partner with CBS and EcoMedia on the Green Schools Initiative, which will provide valuable tools to help children understand the importance of incorporating environmental values into their everyday lives."

"The CBS & EcoZone Green Schools Initiative offers us a great opportunity to educate and inspire our youngest citizens to protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices," said Mike Zatz, Manager of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings Program. "We at ENERGY STAR are excited to participate in this partnership, and are pleased to contribute the analytical tools to help both the winning schools and others identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements, and measure the impacts of these improvements on the environment."

"We are honored to align with EcoMedia and CBS in this groundbreaking initiative, which perfectly complements O Organics' commitment to promoting health and wellness through education and inspiring young people to be conscious of steps they can take in their daily lives to benefit the environment," said James D. White, Leader of the Better Living Brands Alliance and President of Lucerne Foods. "Thanks to the innovative strategy that EcoMedia has developed for the Green Schools Initiative, we'll be able to help make a sizeable impact on how we teach our kids about the importance of environmental responsibility."

This program represents another clear example of EcoMedia's innovative public-private partnership model: delivering media that does more than simply carry green messages and raise awareness, by actually funding real projects and technologies that lead to measurable environmental improvements in communities around the nation. Now, the procurement of media by leading corporations can also benefit the communities where their products and services are sold. Truly "Green Media" is media that actually greens.