MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For more than a decade, DoubleTree by Hilton hotels have been working with schools through the award-winning Teaching Kids to CARE program to empower more than 5 million grade school students to create sustainability change. This year, as Teaching Kids to CARE enters a new decade, the program will reach more students than ever before through an expanded, evergreen sustainability initiative featuring ready-made educational content and thought-provoking, engaging activities. To further DoubleTree by Hilton’s worldwide commitment to sustainability, the refreshed Teaching Kids to CARE program also features a new global online community with extensive resources for teachers, parents and kids available for free at www.TeachingKidstoCARE.DoubleTree.com.
At the core of the Teaching Kids to CARE program are five thematic lesson plans developed in line with National Education Standards. Students learn about small actions they can take to care for the planet, the positive impact of trees on the environment, and the importance of the “three Rs” – reducing, reusing and recycling. Each student is then challenged to explore an issue in his or her own community, and take action through an organized community initiative. Each lesson plan is available in two versions, targeted for students in grades K – 2, and grades 3 – 5.
“Our goal with the enhanced Teaching Kids to CARE program is to encourage everyone to stop and think about their own actions, and take steps – large or small – to change our environment for the benefit of everyone sharing our planet,” says Anne Thompson, global director of culture and communications, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels. “Through the program, DoubleTree by Hilton will continue to show how just one small action can create a collective and meaningful difference to help change the world we live in for the better.”
For the first time, the lesson plan materials will be made available online through the Teaching Kids to CARE global website at www.TeachingKidstoCARE.DoubleTree.com, where teachers, parents and students around the world can access the ready-made content, as well as a wealth of online resources and activities, whether or not they have a partnership with a local DoubleTree by Hilton property.
Whether someone is a first-time participant or a Teaching Kids to CARE veteran, the refreshed program is designed to provide ready-made content that is flexible and customizable to accommodate varying age groups, school calendars and course schedules. Teachers may use as few or as many of the lesson as they choose, and the duration of lesson plans can be customized to fit a school’s schedule. The Teaching Kids to CARE program has also expanded to include online resources that teachers can use to supplement in-class lessons, at-home activities that parents can use to maintain the educational momentum at home, sustainability tips and even recommended reading lists provided by DoubleTree by Hilton’s sustainability partners, The Arbor Day Foundation and The Woodland Trust.
“The Teaching Kids to CARE program is our opportunity to work with local groups of children to share our ideals, encouraging their independent decision-making skills, and giving them a chance to gain valuable knowledge about becoming sustainability stewards,” says Thompson. “When we arm our youth with the tools and the education to create change, we can effectively show that by thinking globally and acting locally, we can all make a difference in the world we live in.”
Launched in 2002, Teaching Kids to CARE was created by DoubleTree by Hilton as a mentorship program focused on teaching kids about the impact they can have on their communities and the world at large through engaging lesson plans tailored to elementary students. The program pairs team members from DoubleTree by Hilton properties across the country with local schools, with a shared goal of demonstrating to kids how they can impact their own communities through simple and meaningful steps. As a result of efforts, the DoubleTree by Hilton Teaching Kids to CARE community outreach program has worked with more than 5 million grade school students in more than 200 communities, and has been recognized with more than 40 awards from prominent hospitality and marketing associations as being one of the most successful community outreach efforts undertaken by a worldwide travel company.
For more information about the DoubleTree by Hilton Teaching Kids to CARE program, visit www.TeachingKidstoCARE.DoubleTree.com. To follow the progress and experiences of participating schools, follow DoubleTree by Hilton online at www.facebook.com/DoubleTree.
To inquire about partnering with a local DoubleTree by Hilton property for the Teaching Kids to CARE program, schools can submit requests to TeachingKidstoCARE@Hilton.com.
About Hilton Worldwide Corporate Responsibility
DoubleTree by Hilton is a proud member of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotels.
In 2011, Hilton Worldwide launched Travel with Purpose, the company’s commitment to providing shared value to our business and communities around the world. Travel with Purpose is built on four areas of focus – creating opportunities for individuals to reach their full potential; strengthening communities where we operate; celebrating cultures and the power of travel; and living sustainably through the measurement, analysis and improvement of our use of natural resources. Through the company’s sustainability strategy, LightStay, Hilton Worldwide is the first multi-brand hospitality company to make sustainability measurement a brand standard and recently earned ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications for quality and environmental management - one of the largest volume certifications awarded for commercial buildings. In 2010 alone, the company saved more than $74 million in utility costs through a 6.6 percent reduction of energy use; 7.8 percent reduction of carbon output; 19 percent reduction of waste output; and 3.8 percent reduction of water use.
www.HiltonWorldwide.com/corporate-responsibility/
About DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels
With a fast-growing global collection of contemporary, upscale hotels in more than 280 gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations across five continents, every little thing we do at DoubleTree by Hilton inspires us to create a rewarding experience for our hotel guests, our team members and the communities we proudly serve. Our hospitality begins with a warm chocolate chip cookie welcome upon arrival and continues with the award-winning Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program, an array of fine services and amenities and our longstanding CARE Culture tradition that empowers more than 65,000 team members to provide the special comforts and acts of kindness that make the travel feel human again.
To make reservations at any DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, travelers may visit our brand website at www.doubletree.com. Social media users may connect with us at www.facebook.com/doubletree, www.twitter.com/doubletree and www.youtube.com/doubletreehotels. For the latest news, story starters and fact sheets about our brand, reporters and bloggers may visit our DoubleTree by Hilton Global Media Center at news.doubletree.com.
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,800 hotels and timeshare properties, with 630,000 rooms in 88 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
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