Students Invited to Take On National Sustainability Challenge

Sept. 2011

Programs and Services

The 2011 Siemens We Can Change the World High School Winners received a trip to Orlando, Florida to visit the Siemens Energy, Inc. (SEI) headquarters, view Siemens equipment in a working utility plant, and enjoy time at Epcot Center in Disney World.  Students pictured from left to right: Emily Alsentzer and Catherine Caffey from the 3rd Place Team, School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN and Sarah Fischer, Justin Roth and David Fischer from the 1st Place Team, West Branch High School, West Branch, IA.

Looking to young people for innovative solutions to the most daunting environmental problems ahead, the College Board, the Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association kicked off the fourth national sustainability challenge, the "Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge".

This collaborative effort invites teams of classmates, assisted by a teacher or mentor, to work to solve problems in their school (grades K–5), community (grades 6–8) and world (grades 9–12). Students at all levels use scientific investigation and Web-based curriculum tools powered by Discovery Education to create a replicable green solution.

"Students have a unique ability to look at entrenched environmental problems with fresh eyes and creative, energized minds," said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, president of the Siemens Foundation. "Our goal is to educate, engage and empower them as they analyze these problems, brainstorm solutions, and put their hypotheses to the test. Students have come up with some incredibly impactful ideas over the past three years, many of which have been implemented by schools, communities and organizations. I look forward to seeing what this year's challenge brings."

Nearly 18,000 elementary, middle and high school students competed in last year's challenge, offering innovations in areas such as converting food waste to energy, community-scale battery recycling, phantom-power load reduction, systematic behavior change, erosion control, wildlife habitat restoration and sustainable agriculture for arid zones. Last year, students from the following schools won the grand prize in their respective categories:

• West Branch High School in West Branch, Iowa. An energy audit of their high school was conducted, which found many items that could be improved.
• Kohala Middle School in Kapaau, Hawaii. The team collected more than 66,000 batteries in the community for proper disposal.
• Barringer Academic Center in Charlotte, N.C. The students completed a campaign that reduced paper waste in their school.
• Concord Hill School in Chevy Chase, Md. Students reduced car idling by parents at their school by 70 percent.

To join this initiative and work to improve our planet's future, teachers and mentors can register for the challenge at www.wecanchange.com. The website helps teams get started by offering a robust resource section with lesson plans, e-books, virtual labs and more to accompany each stage of the challenge.

The deadline for all entries is March 15, 2012. A panel of environmental experts and science educators will judge teams based on their research, analysis and the ability of the solution to be replicated on a larger scale. High school students are specifically challenged to address energy, biodiversity, land management, water conservation and cleanup, or air and climate.

Finalists and winners will be announced in April 2012, and the national winners will be announced in May 2012. Student and teacher/mentor prizes, which vary according to grade level, include scholarships, savings bonds, school grants, adventure trips and a chance to present their idea at the United Nations.

For more information on the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, visit www.wecanchange.com or www.facebook.com/wecanchange