National Middle School Sustainability Challenge

Posted by on October 6, 2008

Students Invited to Create “Green Solutions” in National Middle School Sustainability Challenge
Deadline: March 15, 2009

Middle school students across the United States are invited to submit their solutions to environmental problems in their communities for the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a national sustainability education initiative.

The Siemens Foundation (http://www.siemens-foundation.org/en/), Discovery Education (http://www.discoveryeducation.com/), and the National Science Teachers Association (http://nsta.org/) have partnered for this initiative to educate, empower, and engage students, teachers, and communities to become “agents of change” in improving their community.

Student teams from sixth through eighth grade, under the mentorship of a teacher or adult supervisor, can register for the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge (http://wecanchange.com/). Teams of two to three students will identify an environmental issue in their community, research the issue using scientific investigation, and create a replicable green solution using Web-based curriculum tools. The mentors of the first hundred teams to register and complete a project for challenge will receive a Planet Earth series DVD set.

A total of fifty-one teams representing each state and the District of Columbia will be selected as state finalists and an additional fifty teams will be eligible for honorable mention awards. Three of the state finalist teams will be selected as national finalists, and one of those will be named the grand prize-winner. All student teams entering the challenge will receive prizes for their participation; top-performing teams  will earn cash, teacher education materials, and “Discovery Experience” trips. The grand prize winning team will receive a comprehensive prize package, which includes an appearance on Planet Green, Discovery’s eco-lifestyle network, and a Discovery Adventure Trip.

See the We Can Change the World Challenge Web site for complete competition information and program resources. The initiative will expand to elementary schools in 2009 and to high schools in 2010.

RFP Link: http://www.wecanchange.com/

For additional RFPs in Education, visit: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_education.jhtml