Some of Minnesota’s middle school students are getting involved with the clean energy movement! The Clean Air & Biodiesel Lesson & Poster Contest, Sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, was administered by the American Lung Association recently across the state of Minnesota. The contest was open to all 5th and 6th grade classes. The aim of the contest was to have creative students help demonstrate how biodiesel helps protect clean air and our health. Representatives from the American Lung Association in Minnesota presented the students with their awards at the school on May 29th.
Schools with winning classrooms were from Northeast Middle School in Minneapolis and Sky Oak Elementary in Burnsville. The first place class prize was a $50 gift card. Second place class prize was a $25 gift card. All three classrooms that participated received a $50 gift card for classroom supplies.
Overall contest winners were Natalie Portillo (1st place), Elianna Panos (2nd place), and Libby Keller (3rd place).
“It was fun teaming Science and Art together,” said Pam Schilling, Science Specialist at Sky Oaks Elementary School. “Researching biodiesel was a great learning activity which included a lot of life lessons regarding our Earth and 5th graders love contests!”
“I congratulate the Northeast Middle Schools students and Mr. Vanhala for the great entries in this contest,” said Robert Moffitt, Communications Director for the American Lung Association in Minnesota. ““The students showed a lot of imagination and creativity in the posters. Selecting winners was not easy, but these students really did a fine job of showing how cleaner-burning fuels like biodiesel can help make the Earth a cleaner and healthier place to live.Vehicle emissions are the single largest source of air pollution in Minnesota. These students understand this, and did a fine job of showing how cleaner-burning fuels like biodiesel can help make Minnesota a cleaner and healthier place to live.”
