THERE'S STILL TIME: K-8 teachers submit your applications by March 15, 2010.

Siemens We Can Change The World Challenge

2009 Winners

Siemens, Discovery Education and NSTA are pleased to announce the National Winners of the 2009 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge!

First Place - Iowa

  • Team Name Team Dead Weight
  • Location West Branch, Iowa
  • School West Branch Middle School
  • Students
    • Jathan Kron
    • Justin Roth
    • Brennan Nelson
  • Teacher/Mentor Hector Ibarra
  • Description Team Dead Weight's goal was to get the word out about the dangers of lead wheel weights in vehicles, and to help to phase out this hazardous material in the tire industry. This group of students presented to the City Council, Community School District and other civic organizations. The city and school districts were convinced; they agreed to phase out lead wheel weights in vehicles owned by the city and school districts. In addition, the students teamed up with several legislators to develop three bills proposing to phase out the harmful metal.
  • Photo of Team Dead WeightView Their Proposal

Back to top

Second Place - Illinois

  • Team Name Team Recycle Because You Care
  • Location Addison, Illinois
  • School St. Philip the Apostle School
  • Students
    • Angel Lozzio
    • Maggie O'Brien
    • Dana Gattone
  • Teacher/Mentor Dawn O'Brien
  • Description Team Recycle Because You Care saw a need to educate their neighborhood on the benefits of recycling, because less than a quarter of the households in their community recycled, and they wanted to figure out why people weren't recycling. They picked a test area of 6 blocks in their neighborhood, contacted each block in a different way to determine what method worked the best, and in one block had a conversion rate of 86% where out of 19 homes, 5 homes recycled before, and then after the team contacted them 17 of the 19 homes recycled. They helped their school start a new recycling program; they shared the results of their study on their local television station, and presented their research to the Mayor of Addison.
  • Photo of Team Recycle Because You CareView Their Proposal

Back to top

Third Place - North Carolina

  • Team Name Team Stewards of the Pamlico Sound
  • Location Buxton, North Carolina
  • School Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies
  • Students
    • Evan Haas
    • Ashley Hodges
    • Kailee Pieno
  • Teacher/Mentor Tracy Shisler, 6th,7th, and 8th grade Science teacher
  • Description This team's goal was to restore the oyster population in the Pamlico Sound in Hattarus Island, North Carolina. This was no simple endeavor, in order to successfully help repair the sound's estuary system they teamed up with the Division of Marine Fisheries and the Coastal Studies Institute and created an artificial oyster reef. After many months of observation it became apparent that the oyster population had grown significantly. Because of the great success of their first reef, many clubs and organizations got involved and they now have created two additional reefs that they are tracking closely.
  • Photo of Team Stewards of the Pamlico SoundView Their Proposal

Back to top

Bookmark and Share