Christopher Columbus Awards | Innovation Generation | Middle School Students Making a Difference
Winning Teams: Finalists 2009

Winning Teams

Finalists 2009
Entry Title:
 Ergo-PAD (Ergonomic Posture Alignment Device)
Coach:
 Rhonda Epstein
School:
 Carmel Valley Middle School
City/State:
 San Diego, CA
Problem:
 Poor body posture when using computers.
Solution:
 Ergo-Pad: A device which fosters proper posture while sitting in a chair.

Entry Title:
 Recycle Because You Care
Coach:
 Dawn O'Brien
School:
 St. Philip the Apostle School
City/State:
 Addison, IL
Problem:
 How to convince and educate the community on the importance of recycling.
Solution:
 Outreach effort to make the community aware of the recycling program, why it's important and to supply recycling bins for every household.

Entry Title:
 Oddly Charged Particles
Coach:
 Sally Blackburn
School:
 Selvidge Middle School
City/State:
 Ballwin, MO
Problem:
 Increase in cost of the school's electric usage.
Solution:
 Vending Misers: A device for vending machines that manages the machine's electrical output and saves electricity.

Entry Title:
 Project EINSTEIN
Coach:
 Kelly Sedlazek
School:
 Keyport Central School
City/State:
 Keyport, NJ
Problem:
 Speech disorders, neurological disorders and lower achievement caused by vitamin deficiencies.
Solution:
 Created a pacifier that holds powder vitamins and encourages the mouth to become stronger while dispensing the needed vitamins.

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Entry Title:
 Call of the Wild
Coach:
 Stephen Kubricki
School:
 All Saints Catholic School
City/State:
 Manahawkin, NJ
Problem:
 Natural habitats being lost to suburban sprawl.
Solution:
 Outreach effort to educate the community about the plight of the endangered species.

Entry Title:
 The Hot Heads
Coach:
 Eileen Anderson
School:
 Island Trees Middle School
City/State:
 Levittown, NY
Problem:
 Lethal damage caused by house fires.
Solution:
 Redesigned the smoke detector to include LED lights and sound that not only notifies victims of a fire, but also helps them find the way out of the house.

Entry Title:
 S.T.O.P. — Stop Throwing Out Pharmaceuticals
Coach:
 Jennifer Bierhuizen
School:
 The Christopher Columbus Club
City/State:
 Culpeper, VA
Problem:
 Pharmaceuticals and medications are polluting our water resources, potentially harming the community.
Solution:
 Developed an outreach program to educate the community about the dangers of throwing away old medicine and held a "pharmacy drive" where people dropped off old medicines.

Entry Title:
 Vertical Axis Vikings
Coach:
 Jeff Pipitone
School:
 Dane County Robotics
City/State:
 Stoughton, WI
Problem:
 Economic and environmental impacts of current energy sources.
Solution:
 Improve the efficiency of the Savonius wind turbine as an alternative energy source.

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