Johnson Controls, NEF and USEA Announce Energy Contest Winners
Students, Teacher Will Receive VIP Tour of Hawaii, Trip to Washington, D.C.
MILWAUKEE, April 8 -- An elementary school student who inspires through song, a middle school student who encourages through a magazine, a high school student with a leadership attitude toward recycling and a teacher bursting with motivation are the winners of the third annual Igniting Creative Energy Challenge. The Challenge is an educational competition sponsored and funded through a grant by Johnson Controls, Inc., with additional support from the United States Energy Association (USEA). It is administered by the National Energy Foundation (NEF).
The winners -- three students and a teacher -- will receive a hosted trip to Hawaii in April, as well as the opportunity to participate in the June 16 Energy Efficiency Forum in Washington, D.C., where they will share their Challenge entries and ideas with government and energy leaders.
"Johnson Controls is proud to be involved in a program so consistent with our company's mission of improving educational opportunities focused on energy and the environment," said Brian Stark, president of the Controls Group at Johnson Controls. "We acknowledge the hard work of the winners, and are honored to recognize them and their creative ideas."
The Igniting Creative Energy Challenge is open to all students in grades K-12 in the U.S. and Canada, excluding the province of Quebec. Students are asked to submit entries that reflect the competition theme, "Igniting Creative Energy," and demonstrate an understanding of what an individual, family or group can do to make a difference in their home, school or community.
Additionally, one teacher with the highest average score of student work from 15 or more qualifying entries is chosen as a winner.
Projects submitted for judging include essays, stories, artwork, photographs, music, video, Web sites or science project ideas. The judging staff consisted of more than 25 professionals nationwide with backgrounds in science, math, music, art, and gifted and talented education, as well as environmental industry experts and NEF staff members. Judging was done in preliminary and final rounds with an 11-member panel conducting the final phase.
"This year's entries amazed us with their quality, creativity and inspiration to improve the environment," said Edward Dalton, president of the National Energy Foundation. "For the second year in a row, the contest entries have doubled. We are thrilled that students enjoy taking part in the Challenge."
Igniting Creative Energy Challenge winners include: Elementary Division: Braydon Tanner Elliott, fifth grade, Heritage Elementary School, Davis School District, Layton, Utah -- Composed and sang a song entitled "Flip the Light" about being an "energizing, motivating flip-the-light kind of guy." Middle School Division: Tabitha Head, sixth grade, El Campo Middle School, El Campo Independent School District, El Campo, Texas -- Wrote and published an issue of "Watt's Up" magazine, including articles on alternative fuels, an "ask the editor" section, advertisements, and more. High School Division: Daniel Jerke, senior, Aberdeen Central High School, Brown County School District, Aberdeen, S.D. -- For the second year in a row, he is president of an environmental club that reaches out to the community for recycling efforts. In the three-year history of the club, efforts have resulted in over 5,000 pounds of paper and 150 pounds of cans being recycled. Teacher Division: Dennis O'Laughlin, high school instructor, Crawford County Area Vocational Technical School, Meadville, Pa. -- Students submitted creative poster advertisements, including three that were finalists in the high school division.
Students were asked to write a one-page summary that described their motivation for submitting an entry and what they hope their project accomplishes. Braydon Tanner Elliot wrote: "I was excited to enter this contest because I think there are a lot of small changes we can make in our lives that would make a big difference in how we use and conserve energy."
"I was really impressed with the creativity and imagination of these young people," said Blanche Sheinkopf, national coordinator of the United States Department of Energy's EnergySmart Schools program and judging panel member. "The projects were amazing!"
The winning entries for 2004 will be posted at www.ignitingcreativeenergy.org . There also will be links from the National Energy Foundation and Johnson Controls web sites.
The National Energy Foundation is a unique 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the development, dissemination, and implementation of supplementary educational materials, programs and courses that relate primarily to energy, water, natural resources, science and math, technology, conservation and the environment. These teaching resources recognize the importance and contribution of natural resources to our economy, our national security, the environment and our quality of life.
The United States Energy Association is the United States member of the World Energy Council. USEA is composed of approximately 150 public and private energy-related organizations, corporations and government agencies.
Johnson Controls, Inc., is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major supplier of integrated seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non- residential facilities, Johnson Controls provides control systems and services including comfort, energy and security management. Johnson Controls , founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its sales for 2003 totaled $22.6 billion. For more information on Johnson Controls, Inc., visit the company's Web site at www.johnsoncontrols.com .
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