Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, May 14, 2010

An eighth-grade team from SCAPA Bluegrass has earned the top award among Kentucky’s middle schools in the Siemens “We Can Change the World Challenge.”

“The Green Girls,” who are mentored by teacher Ashlie Beals, include Madi Fogarty, Janie Herbener, Sarah MacDonald and Jenine Tackett.

Their project focused on the importance of washing clothes in cold water. The girls determined that the local community can save money and help protect the environment with this small and simple change, which reduces energy use and carbon dioxide emissions.

The Siemens “We Can Change the World Challenge” is a K-12 sustainability program where teams of students work to identify an environmental issue in their community, research it, develop a plan, collect and analyze data, and share the results.

SCAPA’s “Green Girls” surveyed parents to find out their laundry habits, designed fliers and posters for local businesses, and created a Web site and a commercial spot for their school news show. Their follow-up found that some community members now wash with cold water more often.

Siemens also noted honorable mentions, including three from SCAPA:

• Suns On, Lights Off – Zion Austin, Ellis Bryson, Casey Dalager and Andy Edwards;
• Eco Drivers – Mitchell Kilgore, Dylan Rowe, Coleman Stivers and Robert Wendroth;
• Go Loco for Local – Margaret Kelly, Paloma Paulin, Devan Schmidt and Olivia Yessin.

Nationwide, more than 6,500 middle school students competed in this year’s challenge. A panel of environmental experts and science educators judged the projects. Two national winning teams and one grand prize-winning team will be announced May 24.

“We Can Change the World” is backed by the Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association. For more information, visit www.wecanchange.com/.