Contact: Linda Topoleski, 412-281-2345 Or: Colonia Middle School

ltopoleski@dymun.com Teacher Carol Eberhardt, 732-396-7008

Colonia Students Named as One of Eight Finalist Teams in National Science/Community Service Competition—Win Trip to

Walt Disney World®

Colonia Middle-School Students Develop Portable Sled Hockey Ramp to Make Game More Accessible to Players with Disabilities

AUBURN, NY,—April 18, 2006—Bright ideas, solid research and teamwork won four students from Colonia Middle School in Colonia, NJ, a spot as finalists in the Christopher Columbus Awards, a nationwide program that challenges middle-school students to explore opportunities for positive change in their communities. Eighth-graders Brian Juzefyk, Meredith Sager, Sara Savoia, Nicholas Szczesny, and their teacher, Carol Eberhardt, made it to the semifinals earlier this month and now are one of eight finalist teams in the country to compete for the grand prize—the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant.

Sled hockey was developed in Sweden in the 1960s to enable people who were paralyzed to continue to play hockey using sleds with blades, propelled by handheld sticks with prongs. This Paralympic sport is gaining popularity in the U.S., and enables children with disabilities to participate in their own competitive league. The Colonia students saw a need to help these players who are currently forced to stay on the ice during penalties or player substitutions because their sleds cannot propel safely through existing rink doors to the team bench areas.

Using algebra, science and technology, the team developed a number of hinged door ramps, eventually devising a pulley-operated ramp that can be lowered or raised up as the door to the team bench is opened and closed. The ramp is covered in a thin layer of artificial ice to provide a slick surface for the players. It is also portable, so the team can take it with them to travel tournaments and easily attach it to any regulation-sized rink.

A panel of community leaders, scientists and experts in science education judged this idea as one of the top eight entries in the U.S. Over 1,200 students and coaches participated nationwide.

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Team Wins a Trip to Walt Disney World®

The team and their coach win an all-expense-paid trip to the Walt Disney World® Resort, where they will compete in the Christopher Columbus Awards' National Championship Week, May 28-June 2, 2006, plus a $200 grant to further develop their project.

Each member of two Gold Medal winning teams will receive a $2,000 U.S. Savings Bond and one team will receive the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant as seed money to help bring its idea to life in the community. The Grant winning team will receive support from the Christopher Columbus Awards staff and continued guidance from their coach and community leaders.

The finalists will also attend the Christopher Columbus Academy, a custom-designed educational program. Conducted by scientists, engineers and educators, the program reveals the science and technology behind the thrills and excitement of Epco® and the Magic Kingdom.®

Positive Community Change

The Christopher Columbus Awards challenge teams of middle-school students to explore and discover opportunities for positive change in their communities using science and technology. The program is now in its tenth year and has attracted nearly 14,000 students from diverse backgrounds all across the U.S. The program is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation (www.columbusfdn.org) with support from the National Science Foundation and it is endorsed by the National Middle School Association. Past winners have included: a team from Saddle Brook, NJ Middle School which developed an automatic floor mat that turns on a light when seniors or others get out of bed in the middle of the night; a group of Native American girls who built a study hall out of straw on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, and a group of students from Pennsylvania who developed a video/motion sensor device for school buses that deters motorists from trying to pass illegally.

Strong Participation from Girls, Minorities

The program attracts many students who may not typically enter a science competition. More than half of the entrants are girls, and more than a fourth are from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, statistics that are higher than those of most science competitions. The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation believes the teamwork aspect and community focus draw a broader range of students to enter.

About the Sponsor

The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation is an independent Federal government agency created by Congress in 1992 to encourage and support research, study and labor designed to produce new discoveries in all fields of endeavor for the benefit of mankind. The Foundation has established Frontiers of Discovery–Work in Progress and Discover the Future, programs that recognize “cutting edge” innovations, innovative ideas of America’s youth, and honor teachers. These programs include the Homeland Security Award, Christopher Columbus Awards, National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors and the $10,000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award.

For more information, call 1-800-291-6020 or visit www.christophercolumbusawards.com.

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