Dear Friends of Putting Green,

It's 7 pm on a Sunday evening in September. The hallways of high schools everywhere are quiet as students across Minnesota fight the clock, determined to make every minute last before another busy week. As many students are just settling down to their homework, six New Ulm youth have already entered their "classroom" at the Putting Green office. Peek in the door and you'll see a group of bright, enthusiastic 8th and 9th graders hard at work, Putting Green's 2009-2010 EcoPreneurs. What could possibly get them going a day early? A chance to improve the community and the planet. By developing a project called the "eco-cool cafe" that will implement and promote sustainable energy practices in their school lunchroom and in our community, these students are learning how to work together to have a local impact on a global problem.

This year, the EcoPreneurs teamed up with Youth Energy Summit (YES!), a regional program administered by the Southwest Initiative Foundation. Through participation in experiential learning projects with real-world application and socially significant results, students explore their ability to impact the world in which they live. Maybe Hannah said it best when asked why she joined the team,

"I just really like being involved in a project that helps the environment and gets our school and community connected."

At Putting Green, we know that when kids believe they can change their world, it changes the world. That is why we want to thank you for your support. You have made educational opportunities like the EcoPreneur program possible, empowering young people to become tomorrow's leaders, which really does change the world.

Over the last ten years, Putting Green EcoCenter has, with the help of people like you, grown from just a vision shared by a few into what it is today: a nine-acre riverside park and environmental learning center featuring an interpretive Minnesota River trail, nine holes of mini-golf, and natural and built environment exhibits - all demonstrating sustainable choices. Over 30,000 people have been served, including the children and families of south central Minnesota, as well as tourists, industry groups, and area businesses.

Putting Green EcoCenter also provides youth leadership and business skill development through a program giving young adults the opportunity to manage the park. The EcoPreneur program teaches students not only how businesses perform financially, but also how they shape, and are shaped by society and the environment. This past season, the park was run successfully by college students David and Eric of New Ulm. Former EcoPreneur program participants, both agree the experience managing the park was a valuable one, providing something they can't get in any college classroom. Describing how he benefited from the experience, David explains,

"I learned a lot about running a business because we had the full responsibility of managing the park and were able to make all the decisions. I took what I learned in the EcoPreneur classroom and applied it in the real world. It's kind of like solving a puzzle; you can't see the picture on the box until all the pieces fit together, and you donÕt really know where each piece fits until you try."

In addition to entrepreneurship programs, more than 5,000 students have participated in field trips and educational workshops. Schools, Scouts, 4H, church groups, and clubs enjoy Center-led environmentally focused field trips, rotating through learning stations with topics ranging from watersheds and wetlands to manure management and biomass fuels. Describing their time at Putting Green EcoCenter, a class of first-graders writes,

"Dear Putting Green,
Thank you for letting us use the dome for lunch. Thank you for teaching us about birds, swamps, soil, woodpeckers and rivers. We had a great time."

Beth Sletta, a Jefferson Elementary School teacher says,

"Our students thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the Putting Green. Not only did the kids have a great time, but they were learning about the water cycle and watershed at the same time. I would highly recommend this field trip for any class. The activities were very well planned and the presenters did an excellent job communicating with our students."

In addition to its many educational offerings, Putting Green helped create Growing Green Farm, a sustainable, two-acre commercial enterprise providing fresh produce, herbs, and flowers, in 2008. Located at the Center, Growing Green is a collaborative project with MRCI WorkSource, the largest provider of community-based supported employment in Minnesota, serving more than 3,000 people with disabilities in Southern Minnesota. With MRCI clients as our fantastic farmers, Growing Green provided food for restaurants, group homes, the New Ulm Medical Center, and the Food Shelf. In addition, 45 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) members, who pay a subscription for the season, received fresh vegetables weekly. Lori Wightman, President of the New Ulm Medical Center and a Growing Green CSA Member, says,

"I can improve my Heart of New Ulm score by making sure I eat 3-5 servings of fruit/vegetables a day, the Growing Green produce certainly helped me do just that."

From an educational mini-golf course to the Growing Green mini-farm and the "eco-cool cafe", your donations provide Putting Green EcoCenter the opportunity to move forward in developing tomorrow's leaders and fulfilling its mission:

To educate and inspire people to make informed choices
for a healthy planet.

A donation today is an investment in tomorrow - the future of our youth, community, and planet. Click on the "donate" link below or send a check to Putting Green, Inc. PO Box 91, New Ulm, MN 56073.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

Happy Holidays,
Putting Green

P.S. In today's economy, finding room to give isn't always easy... But leaving our children a better world is worth the price.