Project Proposal free essay sample

By determining and analyzing our customer base we can develop Spottily aggregates music from right holders, distributes It to consumers through stoop and mobile software platforms and monotones both through a free ad- funded service and a paid subscription service. This two tier system targets different consumers and overall provides a service which caters to a broad range. The purpose of this proposal is to outline a strategy for targeting the identified segment group of 18 24 year olds through service design and strategic promotion. Introduction Music Is rapidly evolving In the way people listen to, share and experience It. The area of digital music has greatly changed the way In which music is sourced and distributed. As music Is Increasingly becoming tattletales, It Is difficult for the original distributors to keep up with this ever changing landscape and stay current, relevant and ultimately economically viable. In a rapidly changing marketplace determining target market segments and creating a competitive differentiation is essential. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Proposal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Background Digital music distribution services grew out of the unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing phenomenon of the late sass. This caused a great shift in the way music was shared and listened to from piracy and tunes downloading to on-demand streaming from Youth and others. While physical music product markets are declining rapidly, online digital music markets have been rapidly growing, however the majority of these channels of music consumption generate little to no money for the artists. Digital music can be divided into two supermarkets download and streaming.Digital revenue, however the growth rate of the streaming market is higher than the growth rate of the digital music download markets . This means it is a rapidly growing market Ninth more people are using this format to access music. Spottily is a digital music streaming service that allows customers to listen legally to USIA without individually purchasing or downloading each song. Launched in Sweden in October 2008 Spottily currently has over 24 million users, over 6 million of Noon are paying subscribers. Specifys model aims to engage listeners to once again realism this lost value.By converting them from other poorly monitored platforms to spottily two tier system?.. Reduce rate of piracy and allow artists to generate far greater royalties whilst giving listeners more value per listen and far greater convenience. Service is split into three different product strategies . Changing from music as a product to music as a service. Nat is their mission statement and aim http://press. spottily. Com/AU/2013/04/16/spottily-launches-in-8-new- markets-today/ Brand Diagnosis Market Segments No is listening target market rough development and expansion Spottily used geographic segmentation.This Nas done as each country had different barriers in terms of licensing and overall acceptance of this new medium. It is now available in 28 markets with the most recent being in Latin America with Mexico, and Asia with Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. The largest markets are in Sweden and the US, however there is major opportunities in booming developing markets in Asia (China/Japan), India and Africa ;specially with growing markets in smart phones and applications. He target audience for Spottily is as broad and far reaching as there are different genres and music tastes. The tables below show the distribution of current Spottily users. Segmenting the consumer market as it is can direct who is listening ere largest market for digital music streaming is tech as. N. Y young people under the age of 35. However, as has been shown through the large influx of 55+ aged Backbone bickerers, older generations are becoming more linked and active in the digital Nor.Being able to identify these distinct segments will lead to better adoptions of the Spottily service model to suit cater to their needs. It is very important to understand the segmentation of the digital market because new targeting will be needed to continue growth further into mainstream audiences. These broad segments can be segmented into four categories; Alliance listeners, Core Enthusiasts, Active Fans, and Indies Followers. Target Segments 18- 24 year olds Actively involvement Students and in part time/full-time workCan have mainstream or niche music taste Outgoing Like DID discovery Adventurous Interactive software Tech-sway Early tech adopters Sociable Looking to be at the forefront of technology music and social median found people: what do the have in common who are they? Come up with three clear words which epitomes the target segment and what their needs are towards the product. Market share and competition Market share current market leader in Australia 2012 BPI figures show music streaming was worth 13. MM Positioning and Consistency SOOT analysis/ Positioning StatementMarketing objectives pricing s tatement easiness/marketing strategies Specifying an Opportunity So how did Spottily, launched by a Swedish startup in an industry rife with more recognizable and existing services, rise to the forefront of the digital music world? By combining an ingenious branding campaign that focused on exclusivity as a means of drawing interest, as well as designing a business model that could appease both digital music lovers and the recording industry that is attempting to win them back, Spottily immediately has risen to the top of the crop of digital music providers.There are challenges that Spottily faces as it attempts to break into a competitive market. Aside from established competitors, including Pandora as well as long-term industry stalwarts like Apples tunes Store and new rivals like Amazon and Google, Spottily also faces the same oppositional recording industry that has repeatedly attacked rival digital music services with litigation and bad press. However, by designing a business model that ensures revenue streams for music publishers, as Nell as the same open-source options for program users that drew them in flocks to earlier (illegal) offerings like Anapest and Limier, Spottily has managed to bridge the gap and provide a service that remains both a legal and attractive option for millions around the globe to access their favorite artists and songs. He S. W. O. T. Analysts Strengths Free legal music Personalized/Targeted playbills Pricing Schemes Service Features Forming Partnerships Entrepreneurial development program Limited offline use for non-premium users Advertising can be a deterrent Allowing free use discourages users from paying for premium dad press from some artists and the music industry Current lack of profitabilityOpportunities Threats Potential partnerships Increasing credibility within the music industry Shares values with music industry against piracy Increased accessibility Expansion in global markets teats by Dry Drew recently acquired by Apple Piracy methods such as Pirate Bay and Greenshank Pandora Individuals within the music industry and certain artists Shawn Parker (creator of Anapest) being on the award of Directors may tarnish brand image ere two tier model built on a paid and advertising funded structure allows Spottily to guarantee revenue for music publishers and providers, while still allowing users to lid and craft music libraries that access their favorite artists and preferred musical genres Unparalleled mobile and desktop app design provides perhaps the most user-friendly digital music service on the market A brain and investment trust consisting of proven start-up veterans like Sean Parker ensures faith in the management behind the service Ninth hundreds of millions of music fans around the world, market cap potential remains extraordinarily high for the service Insaneness catalogs on Spottily service Nile Spottily does ensure revenue for publishers and artists, the returns are not usually close to those produced through the traditional brick-and-mortar store and physical album sales Spottily insistence on premium subscriptions for full mobile services and access to files limits its appeal to consumers used to accessing free music (and who can still access free music through torrent downloads) With the continued evolution of mobile technology, live concert video streams and performance broadcasts remain an area of potential expansion Spottily ability to appease music creators and producers allows them an advantage on illegal services potentially threatened with shutdown reheatsEstablished competitors like the tunes Store, as well as new forays by Amazon and Google, ensure long-term challenges for user preference Revenue and profits remain low, as the service attempts to both appease consumers acclimated to free music while also remaining viable as a profitable business model Revenue questions still leave open the threat for litigation from spur ned artists or aspects of the recording industry ere Future of Digital Music As the digital music industry continues to adapt and evolve to increasingly attract consumers who previously relied on illegal or unreliable options for their digital USIA needs, services like Spottily continue to face pressure to find a business model that both appeases consumers, as well as returns a profit for investors.While Spottily has, over the past few years, proven to be both an innovative and adaptive brand in regards to both the service itself, as well as the companys branding, the question of ho will be the name that introduces the new era of digital music sharing remains open. While Spottily model remains perhaps the most effective option of appeasing all of the different actors in the digital music realm, the future remains an uncertain tat. However, in the present, we as entrepreneurs can glean a number of clear takeaways from Spottily rise to the top of the pack. From their initial release campaign, which asked users to provide emails to the company in order to be invited to enjoy the service, Spottily has latched onto the philosophy of exclusivity that helped inspire the meteoric rise of other digital-based services like Backbone and Google Plus.This notion of making a service seem cool or exclusive through marketing tricks like this is something we can take back to our own ventures. While he service eventually expanded to being available to anyone (as was expected from the outset), building this type of hype behind a new venture can help ensure greater media coverage and market saturation from the initiation of the business. Which of AS wouldnt want that for our business? Objectives Description Promotional Devices Frequency Part 3: Body of the presentation Define the need in the market Describe market size, growth, trends and maturity Provide industry and market segment information market challenges Nat market segment(s) are served by the company? Nat is the companys potential in the market?Describe the direct (competing product/service) for the business Describe the specific strengths, weaknesses and opportunities related to the competition what is the business competitive advantage? NH will customers buy the product/service over the competition? How does your product/service differentiate itself from the competition? How will you sell your product or service (distributors, internet)? How will the company generate revenue for its product or service? How will you access customers? (advertising/promotions) Nat customer support will be needed? Part 4: Conclusion give a brief summary of your key points. Objective Obtain a credib le standpoint industry, artists, consumers iris is vital to the business viability. Without artist and industry support spottily faces an ongoing uphill battle.Spottily Create features which enable further penetration of the service into everyday life Target consumers Convert from free to premium Spottily Partnerships Spottily has partnered with a number of well-known brands in different industries, linking their names and creating mutually beneficial networks which tie in with the key objectives. Backbone Spottily has partnered with the worlds largest social media platform Backbone in an effort to facilitate users accessing, discovering and sharing music. The seamless Backbone integration was a giant step in bring music back to a truly social, shared experience. Made the service a truly social site where people can view playbills and favorites of their friends, make recommendations and share newly discovered artists and songs. This fits directly within the model of creating a social targets the market segment.

Just In Time Inventory essays

Just In Time Inventory essays In today's manufacturing society, one of the most popular ideas that are circulating in the manufacturing industry is the idea of just-in-time manufacturing. There have been various journals, magazines, newspapers, and other published documents that illustrate the actual efforts of companies to develop and implement just-in-time processes. This document will define just-in-time manufacturing; the methods organizations take in implementing the just-in-time process, and the results of this implementation. With this in mind, just-in-time manufacturing is the idea that companies should have manufacturing and purchasing strategies that reduce the time between the beginning of the manufacturing process and shipment to the customer. However, the actual development and implementation of these strategies are of difficult tasks (APCI 1-6) One significant idea about just-in-time manufacturing is throughput time. This is the time between the start of the manufacturing process and the end, where the product is ready to be shipped. Five key elements are involved in throughput time. The first element is processing time, or the time actually spent working on the product. Next is inspection time and moving time. Moving time is simply the amount of time spent moving the product from one production department to another, as well as back and forth from storage areas. The last two elements of throughput time are waiting, or queue, time and storage time. Queue time is the amount of time a product is waiting at a production department before being worked on, while storage time is the amount of time raw materials, finished goods, and works-in-progress actually stay in storage. According to many experts philosophy, the first element, processing time, actually adds value to the product, while the last four key elements do not. Thi s means that value-added activities and non value-added activities exist within this system. JIT manufacturing attempt t...

Samford University Admissions Facts - What It Takes

Samford University Admissions Facts - What It Takes With a high acceptance rate of over 90 percent, Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama may appear to be accessible to almost all of those who apply each year. That said, students who are admitted tend to have grades and standardized test scores at or above average. Along with an application and test scores, interested students will need to submit letters of recommendation and a personal essay. You can calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) Samford University Acceptance Rate: 91  percentGPA, ACT and SAT Graph for Samford AdmissionsTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 520 / 620SAT Math: 500 / 618SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanCompare Alabama SAT scoresSouthern Conference SAT score comparisonACT Composite: 23 / 29ACT English: 24  / 31ACT Math: 21 / 27What these ACT numbers meanCompare Alabama ACT scoresSouthern Conference ACT score comparison Samford University Description Samford University is the largest private university in Alabama. Located in Birmingham, Stamford has students from 47 states and 16 countries. The university was founded by Baptists and 1841 and maintains its identity as a Christian university. Undergraduates can choose from 138 majors; nursing and business administration are the most popular. The university has a 12 to 1 student/faculty ratio, and despite the universitys masters and doctoral programs, no classes are taught by graduate assistants. Samfords tuition and fees are less than many comparable private institutions, and the school often ranks highly among best value colleges. On the athletic front, the Samford University Bulldogs compete in the NCAA Division I  Southern Conference. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 5,471  (3,341 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 35 percent male / 65 percent female96 percent full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $29,402Books: $1,000 (why so much?)Room and Board: $9,830Other Expenses: $4,664Total Cost: $44,896 Samford University Financial Aid (2015 -16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 97  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 96 percentLoans: 35  percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $14,122Loans: $8,953 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Accounting, Biology, Business Administration, Family Studies, History, Journalism, Nursing, Psychology, Teacher Education What major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 89 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 59 percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 73 percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Golf, Football, Basketball, Baseball, Cross Country, Track and Field, TennisWomens Sports:  Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Golf, Cross Country If You Like Samford University, You May Also Like These Schools: Auburn University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphVanderbilt University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUnion University: Profile  University of Georgia: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphMississippi State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Alabama: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTroy University: Profile  University of Mississippi: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphClark Atlanta University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of North Alabama: Profile  Furman University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBerry College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Samford University and the Common Application Samford University uses the  Common Application. These articles can help guide you: Common Application essay tips and samplesShort answer tips and samplesSupplemental essay tips and samples Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

The UK Anti-Discrimination Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

The UK Anti-Discrimination Law - Research Paper Example The significance of protection of human rights in terms of equal rights to one and all and the treatment of all humans with dignity and respect has been recognized by the world community which has enacted several laws to prevent cases of discrimination and punish those who resort to such uncivilized behavior. These laws seek to ensure and propagate the idea that all humans irrespective of their race, sex, physical disabilities, and preferences be treated equally and with the same degree of respect and dignity enjoyed by their fellow beings. Such opinions have also been voiced by the United Nations in their Charter which states that â€Å"Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or another opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or another status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty†2. Discrimination is divided into four distinct categories which include discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, disability etc and is further categorized as direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimization. The definition and scope of each of the term are discussed hereunder: This form of discrimination is one of the most common and widely experienced forms of discrimination.

Should central banks be independent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should central banks be independent - Essay Example They all have different origins hence the difference in the roles and functions that they are expected to play. While some of them were established as a special purpose upon which the government banks were brought up to bring about order in the way that bank notes are issued, others were developed to act as sources of funding for the governments (Downes & Vaez-Zadeh 92). There are other central banks that started off as large commercial banks that dominated and subsequently were able to boost the economy by offering the monopoly rights to provide bank notes. Most of the central banks started their operation during the 20th century as central banks that held the public policy agencies to conduct the functions related to central banking. However, the bundles of functions associated with the central bank have always differed in a substantial way from one country to the other. In this paper the main functions and roles of the central banks will be analyzed and an evaluation performed o w hether the central banks should be made independent (Touffut 52). The key functions of the central bank revolve around the fact that the central bank is an agency that is expected to perform the conducts of monetary policy and provide the means through which it can be settled. In the past, they functioned as the government’s bankers, the monopoly of issuing notes, the banker’s bank, the last resort lender, controller and regulator of credit and the maintenance of external stability (Goodhart xiii). The most important function of the central bank has been linked to the role of financial stability. However, it is considered as the objective that extends or goes beyond the objectives of functions, which contribute towards financial stability. Nonetheless, it is still applicable in many countries where for example in China, it is the role of the People’s bank to ensure that financial risks are mitigated with the effort to provide financial stability

Ethics, Metaphysics and Epistemology

Ethics, Metaphysics and Epistemology Poyan Keynejad Group I: Ethics (#2) According to Aristotle, humans highest good involves the pursuit of deriving happiness from living and thinking well. To this end, Aristotle justifies this particular claim through explaining: the chief good is evidently something final. Now we call that which is in itself worthy of pursuit more final than that which is worthy of pursuit for the sake of something else. Now such a thing is happiness, for this we choose always for itself (Aristotle 570R/571L). In this light, Aristotles argument here is that the highest good can only be that which is achieved through actualizing something which is worthy of actualizing in and of itself, and for Aristotle nothing fits this description better than that of happiness, whether such happiness be derived from theoretical or practical pursuits. On the other hand, the Socrates of Platos Crito takes a slightly different approach to the highest goodness. Toward the beginning of Crito, Socrates remarks that the good life, the beautiful life, and the just life are the same (Plato 42R). To this end, the highest good for Socrates involves living responsibly and thoughtfully at all times and regardless of the context of ones circumstances. Socrates puts this idea of the highest goodness into action by refusing to flee his death sentence in Athens. Socrates makes the argument that in being an Athenian citizen, he has taken an oath to follow the rulings of Athenian law, regardless if such a law is used to condemn him to death. In defense of his responsibility to the rule of law, Socrates bemoans us to not value either your children or your life or anything else more than goodness, (Plato 46L) or, other words, living thoughtfully and responsibly. In weighing both of these arguments for the highest good against one another, I must say that while I do not inherently disagree with Socratess argument, I find Aristotles account of the highest good to be more compelling. This is because in Platos Crito Socrates only vaguely lays out a general philosophical conception of what it means to live a good life, whereas in Aristotles own conception of the highest good he lays out a structured argument for what such goodness entails, namely that the highest good must be something which is worthy of pursuing for the sake of itself, which for Aristotle is embodied in the actualization of happiness. In this light, I find Aristotles account of goodness more compelling than Socratess account because it is structured in a clear and logical manner. Though I will also qualify my remarks by saying that I do generally sympathize with Socratess conception of goodness; I just find it less compelling than Aristotles competing conception. Group II: Metaphysics (#4) Saint Anselm argues for the existence of god on the basis that god is something à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [of] which nothing greater can be conceived, and thus according to this line of thought such a god cannot exist just in the understanding, [because] we could conceive it to exist in reality too, in which case it would be greater (Anselm 40R/41L). To this end, Anselm is maintaining that if one accepts the premise that god is something à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [of] which nothing greater can be conceived, then it logically follows that such a god must exist, in that the only thing greater than having the concept of such a god in ones mind is the reality that that god exists outside of the mind, therefore fulfilling Anselms premise of god being something à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [of] which nothing greater can be conceived (Anselm 40R). On the other hand, Saint Aquinas argues for the existence of god on the basis that every cause must have an action and thus that there must have been a first cause that was caused by god, seeing as how, at least in Aquinass eyes, the universe is finite and as such it must have originated from a first cause. To this end, Aquinas maintains that everything has been changed by something else, But this cannot go back to infinity. If it did, there would be no first cause of change and, consequently, no other causes of change, (Aquinas 43L) meaning that without a first cause there would be no universe in the first place. In this light, Aquinas posits that the only thing capable of causing the first cause is god, and thus he bases his argument for gods existence on the idea that such a god would have been necessary to cause a finite universe. From my own amateur perspective, I find Aquinass aforementioned argument for the existence of god to be stronger than Anselms argument. This is because Anselms argument for gods existence seems grounded purely in rhetoric and semantics, as if his argument were just a word game. On the other hand, Aquinass argument for gods existence is grounded in a problem of physics that, short of modern science, only the existence of a god could reasonably resolve. The premise that a finite universe must have had a first cause is a premise that virtually any person could easily accept. Thus on the basis of its premise and its logical conclusion, Aquinass argument for god seems stronger than Anselms argument. With regard to persuasiveness, Aquinass argument for gods existence is certainly persuasive in the sense that one cannot rationally conceive of a finite universe that did not bear a first cause, in that such a universes very finiteness requires an originary causation. Thus, short of having any knowledge of the Big Bag, Aquinass contention that god must have caused the first cause is a reasonable one, as it would be difficult to come up with an idea of any other entity that could be capable of causing the first cause. Group III: Epistemology (#6) Descartes imagines an evil demon at the end of Meditation because he uses this concept to illustrate that most knowledge is dubious and that one must start from a position of skepticism if they are to be able to truly find a trustworthy foundation for verifiable knowledge. To this end, Descartes remarks how, in realizing that he would need to start his pursuit of knowledge from scratch, I would need to tear down everything and begin anew from the foundations if I wanted to establish any firm and lasting knowledge (Descartes 157L). Thus, in devising a theoretical evil demon that can mislead humans into positions of false knowledge, Descartes is beginning to tear down everything and begin anew in his pursuit of firm and lasting knowledge (Descartes 157L). Zhuangzi makes similar arguments in pursuit of establishing skepticism in his own scholarship. For one, Zhuangzi makes the skeptical argument that knowledge is ultimately impossible because, for him, the divide between subjectivity and objectivity cannot be overcome. He argues such because he maintains that Everything is merely subjective; there is no such thing as objectivity. So there is no such thing as knowledge (Zhuangzi 322). In this sense, he views knowledge as impossible because humans are only capable of having imperfect subjective perspectives. Building off of this contention of ultimate subjectivity, Zhuangzi makes another skeptical argument on the basis of universal variability, with universal variability being the notion that since everyone perceives things differently, There is no way to decide which perceptions ought to be trusted, (Zhuangzi 322) which again provides us with the implication that objective knowledge is impossible. The main similarity between Descartess skepticism and Zhuangzis skepticism is that both philosophers make certain theoretical arguments in order to illustrate how, in many cases (or in all cases for Zhuangzi), what we take to be knowledge is in fact quite untrustworthy. On the other hand, the main difference between Descartess skepticism and Zhuangzis skepticism lies in what both are trying to achieve through their skeptical arguments. Descartess only endeavors in skepticism so that he can weed out all false knowledge from his perspective and thereafter establish a firm foundation for real knowledge. On the flip side, Zhuangzi does not have a constructive end to his skepticism, in that he maintains his skeptical arguments solely for the purpose of illustrating how there can be no firm foundation for real knowledge. In this sense, Descartess goals and Zhuangzis goals are quite different when it comes to skepticism.

Energy and Water Saving Ideas for Schools

Water-Saving Ideas for Schools Free ? Repair leaky faucets and toilets throughout the school building. ? Encourage maintenance staff to avoid using hoses or pressure washers to clean sidewalks and other paved areas. ? Never allow water to run unnecessarily, and avoid using the toilet as a trash can. ? Avoid overuse of the air conditioning – the harder it works, the more water (and energy! ) is used to cool the building. ? Encourage your school’s cafeteria staff to avoid using trays when possible. Fewer items to wash means less water is used to wash them! ?Research the water needs of the plants currently found on the school grounds. Determine how often they require water, and request that maintenance staff only water the plants and grounds as required by the plants. ? Make sure sprinkler systems are watering plants and not spraying water onto sidewalks or other paved areas. ? Develop a poster campaign to help educate the school community on water-conserving behaviors suc h as repairing leaks, turning off the water while washing hands, avoiding overuse of air conditioning, landscaping with native plants, etc.Low-cost ? Install faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads and other water-saving devices throughout the school. ? Construct a rain garden or native plants garden on the school grounds. ? Install rain barrels on school grounds. ? Place mulch around plants to reduce evaporation. ? Install timers and moisture sensors on irrigation equipment used on school grounds. ? Research the WaterSense program and encourage the school administration to purchase WaterSense products when equipment needs replacing.National Environmental Education Week is April 11-17, 2010 Be Water and Energy Wise! www. eeweek. org Energy-Saving Ideas for Schools Free ? Set the classroom (or school-wide) thermostat so it is slightly warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. ? Start a carpooling program at your school and encourage students to ride the school bus or carpool rathe r than having their individual parents drive them to school. ? If your classroom has windows and gets plenty of natural light, open the blinds and turn off the lights when not required. Check for and repair leaks around windows and doors where air conditioning and heat can escape. ? Plug all computers, televisions, printers, copiers, and other equipment into power strips, and turn off the strips when the devices are not in use. Even when turned off, many electronics use energy even when they're in standby mode. ? Pack lunches (in reusable containers! ) that don’t require heating. ? Ensure that heating and cooling vents are clear of obstruction. ?Create a schedule and put students in charge of turning off energy-consuming devices in the classroom (printers, computers, lights, etc. ). ? Increase the amount of insulation on water heaters and hot water pipes. ? Develop a poster campaign to help educate the school community on energy-conserving behaviors such as turning off lights , computers, and other equipment when not in use, keeping doors and windows closed to reduce heating and cooling system waste, washing clothes and dishes in full loads using cold water, etc.Low-cost ? Replace classroom light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. ? Research the Energy Star program and encourage the school administration to purchase Energy Star products when equipment needs replacing. ? Plant deciduous trees around the school building. Trees help reduce heating and cooling costs by shading the building during warm months and by providing a wind break during the winter. National Environmental Education Week is April 11-17, 2010 Be Water and Energy Wise! www. eeweek. org