Finalist Selected in Caring for Our Watersheds Competition

Students throughout Washington, D.C., stepped up to create innovative solutions to improve their local watershed. Out of 13 proposals submitted to the Caring for Our Watersheds competition, sponsored by international agriculture company Agrium, five have been selected to be put into action.

Each of the five proposals is from a different D.C. Public School or D.C. Public Charter School. The projects include:

• Trees Please! (Jefferson Academy): Students hosted a tree planting on their campus on Earth Day. The trees will slow runoff from the school parking lot, and the event was an opportunity to educate the community on the importance of trees in the Anacostia River Watershed.
• Litter Commercial (LaSalle Backus Education Campus): In an effort to raise awareness about the impact of litter on the watershed and to encourage people to stop littering, the class will work with students at the University of Maryland to create an anti-littering commercial.
• Play Away the Smoke (Roots Public Charter School): Students will work with a developer to create an app that will help to reduce the effects of smoking on the environment. The app will highlight the environmental, economic and health impacts of smoking.
• Watershed Awareness (SEED School of D.C.): This awareness campaign includes a school-wide Watershed Day and pep rally during Earth Week, the creation of signs offering watershed protection tips to put up around the neighborhood, and a rap commercial that will teach people quick and easy tips to help the watershed.
• Littering Camera (Washington Latin Public Charter School): Students will install littering cameras to help enforce littering laws.

“The creativity this contest affords students is beneficial for our environment and the communities we serve,” says Kurt Moser, senior program Manager at Earth Force. “Anytime we can engage and involve our youth in environmental conversation benefits us all. They are actively seeking ways to make our communities sustainable for future generations and we are here to help them.”

The five projects will be presented at the 2014 Anacostia Environmental Youth Summit, Friday, May 16, 2014, at Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C. Students will compete for cash prizes between $300 and $1,000, with an additional $10,000 to be provided by sponsor Agrium for project implementation.

Approximately 400 students from D.C. Public Schools and D.C. Public Charter Schools are expected to attend, connecting with other young people and engaging in partner-led environmental activities.

Source: Earth Force Inc.