Holland Middle School Students Named as One of Eight Finalist Teams in National Science/Community Service Competition Win Trip to Walt Disney World®

Students Develop Device to Reduce Backpack-Related Injuries

AUBURN, N.Y.—May 9, 2008—Bright ideas, solid research and teamwork won three students from Holland Middle School, Holland, PA, 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. Seventh-graders Peter DeLuca, Lauren Sauers and Kelsey Sullivan, and their coach, Nancy J. Sauers, 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.

The students were concerned about the long-term health effects on the back, neck and shoulders of carrying heavy backpacks to and from school each day. Dissatisfied with roller backpacks that don’t fit into narrow school lockers and therefore are not allowed in some schools, the student team decided to research backpack weight guidelines and ways to reduce backpack weight. Considering that the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that approximately 5,000 backpack-related injuries occur in children each year, the team theorized that if teachers, parents and students were made aware of the potential risks of backpacks, backpack-lightening habits could be implemented in schools to significantly reduce the incidence of injury.

The students determined the extent of the problem locally by conducting surveys with teachers and measuring the weight of students’ backpacks. Their findings helped them devise an awareness campaign and develop guidelines for teachers that suggest alternatives to requiring students to carry heavy books and binders home. Additionally, the student team designed a lightweight device known as the L-PAK Save-Your-Back Roll-A-Pack that can transform any shoulder backpack into a roller backpack. The team has built a prototype of the device with the help of P&M Precision Machine Inc.

"Kids can use the L-PAK on days that their backpack is too heavy to carry," the team members remarked. "Unlike a traditional roller backpack, the L-PAK can fit in a six-inch-wide locker when in its collapsed position, and could even be carried around in the water bottle pocket of a regular backpack. With our innovative L-PAK, kids will soon be saved from a backpack attack!"

A panel of community leaders, scientists and experts in science education selected this idea as one of the top eight entries in the U.S. More than 600 students and coaches participated nationwide.

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, June 16-20, 2008, 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 Epcot® 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 12th year, and has attracted more than 15,500 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 is endorsed by the National Middle School Association. Past winners have included: a group of Native American girls who built a study hall out of straw bales on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana; and a team of students from Pennsylvania who developed a video/motion sensor device to deter motorists from trying to illegally pass stopped school buses.

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 nearly 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 four new Life Sciences Awards, $25,000 Homeland Security Award, Christopher Columbus Awards, 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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