St. Philip the Apostle School Students Named as One of Eight Finalist Teams in National Science/Community Service Competition, Win Trip to Walt Disney World®

Students launch recycling awareness campaign.

AUBURN, N.Y. — April 27, 2009 — Bright ideas, solid research and teamwork won three students from St. Philip the Apostle School, in Addison, Ill., 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 Dana Gattone, Angel Loizzo, and Maggie O’Brien, and their coach, Dawn O'Brien, 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.

To most environmentalists, recycling is old news, but as the students discovered, there are still many households that do not recycle. Because failing to recycle can increase air and water pollutants, as well as exacerbate the greenhouse gas effect as unrecycled waste sits in landfills for decades, the students chose to encourage greater participation in their community’s recycling program among families in their neighborhood.

The team consulted with SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education), the Village of Addison's Public Works Department, Allied Waste Services, and ISTEP (Illinois Sustainable Education Program) to learn about the negative environmental impact of landfills and the benefits of recycling. Through field observations conducted in a six-block area, the students found that only 23% of their neighbors were recycling.

They then experimented with five different approaches to making neighbors aware of the local recycling program — (1) dropping off one of three informational flyers that the team developed, (2) dropping off a flyer and explaining the program personally, (3) selling recycling bins, (4) dropping off a free bin, and (5) dropping off a free bin and explaining the program personally. The latter approach resulted in 86% of the non-recycling households converting to recycling households.

"We would love to share our ideas, test results, and successes with the entire state, country, and beyond," the team members remarked. "We believe that if the right message is delivered to just about anybody, people will change their behavior."

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 14-19, 2009, 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 14th year and has attracted more than 17,000 students from diverse backgrounds all across the U.S. The program is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation. 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 Life Sciences Awards, the $25,000 Homeland Security Awards and the Christopher Columbus Awards.

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

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