40,000 Children Step Up for the Environment

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Goddard Systems, Inc., named the number one child care franchise company for the ninth year in a row by Entrepreneur magazine, is proud to announce it has joined the Earth Hour movement for the second consecutive year.

Across 350 Goddard Schools nationwide, more than 40,000 children will help spread the message that by working together, each one of them can make a positive impact toward a sustainable future. The Goddard Schools will launch an entire week of activities and lesson plans beginning March 22nd leading up to a big celebration for the Stepping Up for the Environment event on March 26h at 10 a.m., when all schools will turn off any non-essential lighting for one hour.

"We want children to think about how we all impact the environment in our daily lives and how each one of us can make a difference. Earth Hour provides a great opportunity to accomplish that," said Joseph Schumacher, CEO of Goddard Systems, Inc. "As educators and as parents, we want to help children understand that how they care for and protect the earth will affect future generations."

In preparation for Earth Hour, Goddard Schools will integrate the environment into a number of engaging learning activities including art projects, science lessons and even snack time! Classes will build musical instruments out of recycled materials and hold newspaper fashion shows using costumes that students create from old newspapers, magazines and paper bags. Schools will also nominate an official "Lightning Bug," who will be responsible for always turning off the classroom lights when the children exit the room.

This year for the first time, Goddard Schools will get global. Classes will team up with preschools in sister cities across the globe and exchange drawings and ideas for helping the environment. Then the children will "green" their own communities, by planting trees and picking up trash around school grounds. They will also create invitations asking parents and neighboring buildings to join them in Earth Hour, as well as city officials and environmental leaders, to join them in the week's Earth Hour activities.

On March 26th, a day before the global Earth Hour event, Goddard Schools will celebrate Earth Hour with the Stepping Up for the Environment celebration. Each Goddard School across the country will create a large banner and students will decorate it with handprints and footprints, leaving their own little "carbon" footprint. Then, at 10 a.m., schools will turn off any non-essential lighting for one hour.

Participation in Earth Hour supports Goddard Systems, Inc.'s ongoing efforts and commitment to the environment.  Recently, Goddard has become involved with Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) which give schools the option of purchasing wind energy credits, offsetting 100% of a schools electricity usage with clean, renewable wind power.

About Goddard Systems, Inc. www.goddardschool.com

Recently named #1 Childcare Franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine, for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales), by Franchise Times for the second consecutive year (October 2008), Goddard Systems, Inc. (GSI) is expanding The Goddard School® network throughout the United States. Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, GSI currently licenses 350+ franchised schools with more than 40,000 students in 37 states. With a successful system in place and dedicated franchisees, GSI is the acknowledged leader in franchised childcare and a premier childcare provider in the United States. Goddard is owned by Wind River Holdings, L.P.

About EARTH HOUR:

Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour has captured the world's imagination becoming a global phenomenon. Last year, for Earth Hour 2009 nearly one billion people in 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents turned out. In the U.S. alone, 80 million Americans and 318 cities officially voted for action with their light switch. These people and municipalities were joined by iconic landmarks including: the Las Vegas Strip, the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings in New York City, the Space Needle in Seattle, Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple in Salt Lake City, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the National Cathedral in Washington DC.  International landmarks that turned off their lights included the Great Pyramids of Giza, Parthenon in Athens, St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London, Paris' Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower, Beijing's Birds Nest and Water Cube, Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong, Sydney's Opera House and Christ de Redeemer status in Rio de Janeiro.

SOURCE Goddard Systems, Inc.