TORRANCE, CA--(Marketwire - April 17, 2008) - Student teams in Jersey City, NJ, and
Honolulu, Hawaii, will be celebrating this Earth Day. Not only have they
done their part to protect the planet, they've also emerged as the two
$75,000 grand-prize winners in the Lexus Environmental Challenge, a
national competition designed by Lexus and Scholastic to educate and
empower teens to think big about possible solutions that could make a
positive impact on the environment. Fourteen first-place teams also won
$50,000 each. In all, more than $1 million in grants and scholarships have
been awarded throughout the seven-month-long environmental education
program and contest.
"When we introduced this challenge, we really had no idea what kind of
programs the students would dream up," said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice
president and general manager. "Well, now we know they're not afraid to
dream big, and act on those dreams. We were amazed at all the teams'
innovative ideas, their ingenuity and their pure passion for the topics
they chose to address. It's exciting to see these young people discover
their voices and learn they have the power to make a difference."
Both winning entries demonstrate how a small group can make a big impact.
"The Climate Academy" team, made of five 6th graders from Academy I Middle
School in Jersey City, created a campaign called: "Clean Cities Make Clean
Oceans." Their program included educating all students in Jersey City
public schools about the impact of litter and pollution on the ocean. They
also raised awareness by stenciling the words "Dump No Waste: Drains to
Ocean" on storm drains near schools throughout the city. "The Dream Team"
from W.R. Farrington High School in Honolulu focused on educating people
around the world about the benefits of renewable energy sources such as
wind turbines, solar panels, fuel cells, and hydropower. The team,
comprised of eight high school students, created videos, blogs and a Web
site in multiple languages and used social media web sites to help spread
the word.
"Winning the Lexus Environmental Challenge renewed exactly that same
feeling I had when I received the Milken National Educator Award, but even
more heartwarming was the fact that my students were the ones making the
big difference in the world," said Bebi Davis, The Dream Team's teacher
advisor. "These young people hold in their hands the future of the world
for the next generation. I am so proud of their incredible accomplishment."
These two top teams were recognized today in ceremonies at their respective
schools. In addition to the scholarship and grant money, each team's
school will receive a custom-designed sculptural cistern to promote the
idea of water conservation. Made from recycled packing materials, the
cisterns, or rain catchers, were created by Florida's renowned
environmental artist Jefre. This unique award will serve as a reminder of
the team's outstanding accomplishment as well as a sustainable way to
collect rain water so it can be reused for watering plants on the school's
campus.
The 16 winners were selected from 55 teams that qualified for this Final
Challenge by winning in one or more of the four previous Challenges that
were held from September to February. These initial Challenges, addressing
land, air, water and climate, asked teams to take a stand for the
environment in their local community. The Final Challenge required teams to
reach beyond the local community and inspire environmental action around
the world through innovative ideas that were communicated to a wide
audience.
The 14 first-place winning teams are:
-- Atlanta, Ga. - "Westminster CCC3" - The Westminster School
-- Baldwin Park, Calif. - "The Ones Who Care" - Sierra Vista High School
-- Bryn Mawr, Penn. - "The Green Gators" - The Shipley School
-- Chicago, Ill - "Earth Warriors" - Madero Middle School
-- Holladay, Utah - "Radon Awareness Group" - Olympus Junior High
-- Holladay, Utah - "Save Our Fresh Water" - Olympus Junior High
-- Holladay, Utah - "The Treehuggers" - Olympus Junior High
-- La Crescenta, Calif. - "Marine Science Researchers" - Clark Magnet
High School
-- Lake Charles, La. - "St. Margaret Science Club" - St. Margaret
Catholic School
-- Newberry, Fla. - "Newberry Environmental Girls" - Newberry High School
-- New Hyde Park, NY - "The Elementals" - Herricks High School
-- New Hyde Park, NY - "Vampire Exterminators" - Herricks High School
-- Torrance, Calif. - "L.I.F.E" - South High School
-- Wilmington, NC - "Team Earth" - Lyceum Academy of New Hanover High
School
The Lexus Environmental Challenge will enter its second year in fall 2008.
Teachers and students are encouraged to visit www.scholastic.com/lexus to
view all the winning entries and to learn how they can take part in next
year's program.
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Holly Ferris
(562) 429-6456