by Rama K. Ramaswamy
The Wellesley Education Foundation, Wellesley Green Schools, the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant, and heightened interest in renewable energy all sparked the Power To Choose Program to put together the Sustainability Challenge.
According to Phyllis Theermann of Wellesley Green Schools and Sustainable Wellesley, “since the Town of Wellesley is working to increase its national ranking for voluntary renewable energy through the Power To Choose Program and make its lower carbon footprint goal, this year’s Sustainability Challenge was very topical. Wellesley students were asked, ‘How might renewable energy impact your life and the environment in the future?’ Students from every school across the district in grades 2-8 rose to the challenge and submitted a variety of entries including poems, diagrams, 3-D models, songs, videos, essays and more.
“It was evident that these students put in a great deal of time and energy into researching the topic, forming opinions and creating their projects,” said Jessica Stanton of Wellesley Green Schools. “Although the topics varied from how renewable energy is healthier for people and our planet, to its financial and energy security benefits, the one common theme was their enthusiasm for renewable energy. Many families reported that there were lots of energy discussions in their homes.”
Winners of the Sustainability Challenge were announced at Wellesley Education Foundation’s STEM Expo, and will be featured on Wellesley TV through the months of April and May.
WEF STEM Expo Sustainability Challenge winners were: Allison Chung, Audrey Johannes, Clarissa Ko, Max Goldenson, Nalini Fiorillo, Noa Helmbrecht, Olivia Caiazzo, Alexa Peak, Dylan Peak, Arabella Hardgrave, Kate Cooney, Jaron Jacobs, Tom Burton, Jason Cannistraro.
Challenge finalists included: Adrian Daigle, Alden White, Annabel Abdelal, Christopher Cerda, Clark Taylor-Smith, Eli Wechsler, Ellie Bedard, Zoe Maggioni, Abby Lothian, Emily Svingen, Eva Papapetropoulos, Gregory Y. Chung, Hadley Giesser, Hadley Keally, Ellie Taylor, Hannah Cronin, Jack Gibson, Anton Sodervall, Kyra Hwang, Lizzie Lahive, Leah Wechsler, Maria Paz Lopez-Benitez, Samantha Tarlow, Sana Samal, Stephen Brown, Ty Cronin, Willoughby Bonnette.
Residents wishing to learn more and sign up to get renewable energy in their homes from local sources, including Spruce Mountain Wind Farm in Maine, may visit www.WellesleyPowerToChoose.com.
