The Pembina Institute launches its second annual School Solutions Contest today. It is an action-oriented, solutions-based contest for students from grades 4 to 12/OAC. The School Solutions Contest is hosted at climatechangesolutions.com, the Pembina Institute's award-winning megasite of interactive tools, success stories, and resources on climate change. Janet Sumner, Public Outreach Director of the Pembina Institute, says, "The School Solutions Contest has proved to be an exciting way for us to dialogue with youth and discover just how engaged and concerned they really are about climate change."
The theme of the contest is "Solutions to Climate Change" and students enter on-line in one of three categories: video, poster, or photo essay. Students are encouraged to help others learn about climate change by showing what they and their class, school, or community are doing to help stop climate change.
The School Solutions Contest will:
engage students in learning about climate change and renewable energy;
promote hands-on environmental education; and
offer students a chance to win great prizes, like Mountain Equipment Co-op gift certificates or a zero-carbon transportation mode: Rollerblades!
"I like the student-friendly graphical interface and the chance to win a pair of rollerblades, while DOING something to reduce the climate problems we're facing today," says Stephanie Ruane. Stephanie is a grade 12 student at Glebe Collegiate in Ottawa; she plans to attend teachers' college in the fall. Carolyn Lehrer, a grade 7 and 8 teacher at Glen Elm School in Regina, Saskatchewan, is enthusiastic too: "This web site is really exciting. I'm motivated to have my students enter the contest."
The deadline for the contest is May 7, 2002, which allows students to incorporate Earth Day activities into their contest entries. Winners will be announced on June 3, 2002, during Environment Week
For more information contact:
Sharon Moir
Public Outreach Officer, Pembina Institute
Office: 519-767-6676
Email: sharonm@pembina.org
Heidi Lasi
Media Officer, Pembina Institute
Office: 613-235-6288, ext. 28
Carolyn Lehrer
Glen Elm School
Office: 306-791-8588