Georgia Students Win 2013 Siemens You Can Change the World Challenge

We salute the students from Kelly Mill Elementary school in Cummings, Ga and Rockdale Magnet School for Sci Tech in Conyers, Ga. They have such great ideas on how to make the environment better that they were chosen as winners of the 2013 Siemens You Can Change the World Challenge.

This national competition is designed to encourage K-12 students to tackle environmental issues in their own communities and across the globe and pits students against each other from across the country. Team Tackling Trash With Tires and its mentor Stephanie Summer from Kelly Mill Elementary won first place in the elementary school (third to fifth grade) division of this year’s Challenge for encouraging recycling in their area.

As the grand prize winners in the elementary school (third to fifth grade) division here is what they won:

• A Discovery Education assembly for their school
• $5,000 grant for further “green” initiatives
• A Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge green prize pack
• A banner for their school
• A one-year membership to NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) for the school's principal or other authorized official to give to an educator of their choosing.

Team The Nanocrystals from Rockdale Magnet School for Sci Tech and its mentor Scott Bolen won first prize in the high school division for finding a cost-effective and efficient replacement for current commercial quantum dot solar cells.

For the Challenge, high school students were tasked with identifying an environmental issue related to energy, biodiversity, land management, water conservation and cleanup, and/or air and climate and creating a replicable green solution under the guidance of a teacher or mentor using web-based curriculum tools powered by Discovery Education.

As the grand prize winners in the high school division here is what they won:

• A $50,000 in scholarship money to divide among team members
• A chance to present at a prestigious venue
• A tablet
• A Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge green prize pack

The team’s mentor will accompany the team for its presentation. The school also earned a one-year membership to NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) for the school's principal or other authorized official to give to an educator of their choosing, $5,000 grant to further "green" initiatives and banner.

Learn more about the challenge and who these amazing students were up against.