GRAND PRIZE WINNER--Water Conservation -- Fayetteville Intermediate School, Gifted and Talented Program

Third, fourth and fifth grade students in the gifted and talented program at Fayetteville Intermediate School were very concerned with the on-going drought in Georgia and its implications on the state and our community, and wanted to know what they could do to help conserve water and share knowledge with their family and friends. The students decided they would invent a device to put in your toilet tank that would displace the water, thus conserving water with every flush. After testing several devices, the students decided a full water bottle would do the trick. It allows the family who cannot replace their older toilet with a more efficient model to achieve immediate and significant water savings, 20 – 25%. 

They then partnered with their local Home Depot who supplied water bottles and toilets for demonstrations and allowed them to set up on a Saturday and pass out water bottles and valuable information to the community.

VIDEO: Water Conservation -- Fayetteville Intermediate School, Gifted and Talented Program

WINNER HIGH SCHOOL--Marist Environmental Club -- Marist School

The Marist Environmental Club is working for sustainability in the school and spreading their ideas through the community. The focus has been on a garden, The Green Cup Challenge to reduce energy use at the school, a recycling program and reusable lunch bags. The garden was designed by Marist mothers, overseen by Marist teachers, and built by Marist students so there is strong community support for the project. The school is redoing the cafeteria to make it more energy efficient and produce grown in the Marist garden will be sold in the cafeteria.The Green Cup Challenge encourages participants to reduce energy costs in their schools. With over 30 schools participating, Marist environmental club publicized the competition throughout the school to encourage students there to conserve energy.The recycling program at Marist reaches into every classroom and helps Marist save tons of paper and plastic products. Additionally, the club is reducing paper bag consumption by selling cloth bags with the Marist Environmental Club logo. Each bag sold is the equivalent of taking 10 cans out of a garbage dump and saving 180 paper bags per year. The club has sold 75 bags, or saved 13,500 paper bags.

VIDEO: Marist Environmental Club -- Marist School

WINNER--ELEMENTARY--Paper Recycling Program -- Alfretta Harper Elementary, Harper Explorers

The idea for the program came when the school participated in Clayton County Public Schools first recycled Christmas tree competition in December of 2008. Interest in reusing everyday items grew when the school placed 2nd in the competition and students thought more on how to expand on the idea. They set a goal to begin a recycling drive and share what they learned with teachers and students. Their first task was to put recycling bins around the school for paper and the Explorers club made hand-painted paper recycling bins. Excitement mounted as they set up an entire week’s worth of Harper’s Goin’ Green” initiatives to raise awareness for the program. Activities included a phone book recycling drive where students and teachers recycled more than 500 telephone books, and educational tips and trivia televised through the schools morning news.

VIDEO: Paper Recycling Program -- Alfretta Harper Elementary, Harper Explorers

WINNER--WSB-TV PEOPLE'S CHOICE--Mrs. Kraften's 1st Grade Organic Garden -- Imagine Wesley International Academy

VIDEO: Mrs. Kraften's 1st Grade Organic Garden -- Imagine Wesley International Academy

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