How to Participate in GEC

(NOTE: Draft being prepared for the 2008-2009 competition)

Green Earth Corps membership begins once you enroll in the Global Challenge and indicate your interest. There is no barrier to membership, and membership for youth – middle school through high school and college – is free.

However, to become a participant in the Meter Corps or Audit Corps you must qualify by accomplishing the steps outlined below:

1. Complete the online registration then come back here to continue.

2. Review the Meter Corps, and Audit Corps challenge levels, Select the appropriate [buttons] once you have reviewed the qualifications and determined that you can meet participation requirements for your selected challenge.

3. Follow either the Meter Corps Qualification Instructions OR the Audit Corps Qualification Instructions. All steps and requirements are outlined on this web site as well as in a downloadable manual.

Please note that the instructions will help you obtain the cooperation of an adult mentor in your community or on-line through the Global Challenge, and secure commitments in advance from consumers to demonstrate that you can repay a micro-loan for your Meter or Audit Corps kits.

[The cost of a Meter Corps kit is $150.00; an Audit Corps kit is $350.00. You must obtain a credit-worthy guarantor or a "pledge community" as warranty for your micro-loan repayment, and you must demonstrate that you can repay the micro-loan from fee-for-services.

Your challenge is to create a business plan and demonstrate to your guarantor, your mentor and GEC staff that you are qualified to meet this challenge.]

You enter your qualifications – your business plan and required forms – in your e-Folio on the Global Challenge web site, where they will be reviewed by project staff.

4. Once you have met the appropriate challenges as defined by the Global Challenge, SolarQuest® and local GEC program partners, you then qualify for a micro-loan to purchase your Meter Corps or Audit Corps membership kits.

When these steps are successfully completed, you will be a member of the
designated Corps level for which you have applied. There will be no limit to
what you can achieve as a member of the Meter or Audit Corps.

As you take each step in this entrepreneurial venture you will learn new skills and
meet new challenges. The tasks will not always be easy, but with clarity of
purpose and perseverance you will overcome any barriers to success. The key
to success is to understand that success is a team effort!