The Siemens Foundation and Discovery Education have announced the national winners of the sixth annual Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a national environmental sustainability challenge designed to provide K-12 students with the tools and inspiration to improve their schools, communities and world.
As part of the 2014 Challenge, elementary, middle and high school students across the country identified environmental issues in their schools and communities and created replicable solutions using digital curriculum designed by Discovery Education.
A panel of environmental advocates, STEM professionals, science teachers and professors selected this year’s winners based on each project’s viable solution to a real world environmental challenge. Projects were also evaluated on their ability to engage the support of the local community and ability to be replicated globally.
In addition to other prizes, the high school first place winning team receives $50,000 in scholarship money. Each student on the middle school first place winning team will receive a $10,000 savings bond along with a Discovery Student Adventure trip to Alaska. The first place elementary school winners in K-2 and 3-5 are each invited to a Discovery Education assembly focusing on sustainability, at which time a $5,000 grant will be given to each school.
Past winners have presented their projects at the United Nations and the White House Science Fair, to the Chief Administrator of the EPA, and to other national, regional and local officials. Many projects have gone on to change schools’ policies and inspire new ideas for politicians to craft green legislation.
High School Winners
First Place Winners:
Water Bottle Warriors - A Novel Biosensor and Filter from Recycled Bottles for Water Pollution
North County Senior High School
Glen Burnie, MD
Second Place Winners:
Vehicle Vindicators - Cars Producing Oxygen: The Power of Photosynthesis
Marvin Ridge High School
Waxhaw, NC
Third Place Winners:
Team Excelsior - An Inquiry Into Sustainable Solutions for Colorado Coal Mine Waste Revegetation
Animas Charter High School
Durango, CO
Middle School Winners
First Place Winners:
Zero Waste Team Delaware - Toward Zero Waste
Cab Calloway School of the Arts
Wilmington, DE
Second Place Winners:
Detergent Detectives - Let's Switch to Environmentally Friendly Detergents
Novi Middle School
Novi, MI
Third Place Winners:
Hudson Lake Doctors - Hudson Lake Doctors Doctoring our Lakes and Rivers
Hudson Middle School
Hudson, WI
Elementary School Winners Grades 3-5
First Place Winners:
Lynn Woods Grade 3 - Stop Dumping and Start Helping
Lynn Woods Elementary School
Lynn, MA
Second Place Winners:
King’s 4th Grade - Green Team Challenge - Plastic Waste Reduction
King’s Elementary School
Seattle, WA
Third Place Winners:
Zero Waste - Peabody Team
Pine Ridge Elementary School
Auberry, CA
Elementary School Winners Grades K-2
First Place Winners:
Earth Agents - Precious Water
Snyder Elementary School
Snyder, TX
Second Place Winners:
The Zero-Waste Zealots - Reducing Trash
Kindi Mont Academy
Naperville, IL
Third Place Winners:
Riverside Elementary Gifted - Grade 2 - The Textile Troops: Operation Main Street
Riverside School District
Taylor, PA
For additional details about prizes, visit:
• High School: wecanchange.com/high-school/about-challenge/prizes/
• Middle School: wecanchange.com/middle-school/about-challenge/prizes/
• Elementary School: wecanchange.com/elementary-school/about-challenge/prizes/
For more information on the Challenge, the national winners and their projects, visit wecanchange.com.
Source: Discovery Education, discoveryeducation.com