This environmental category, linked with all of the other categories helps sustain our environment. Students are encouraged to investigate energy sources, production and consumption by incorporating classroom subjects, content standards, real world information, and youth group badge or patch requirements. The integrated projects, partnership collaborations and community service help improve the community and world!

2009 ENVIRONMENT FAIR WINNING PROJECT

ILLINOIS MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY

Aurora, Illinois

IMSA Goes Green with the leadership of CEO, Dr. Max McGee.

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy is proud to support the Go Green Movement. Through their dedicated collaboration of students and faculty and their newly founded Energy Center, IMSA is changing the way Illinois views the environment and energy consumption.

IMSA students working on the biodiesel project are investigating the process of converting a diesel engine to run on the grease produced by IMSA's foodservice provider, Sedexho! Students are also building a mobile energy house. This house is small enough to attach to the back of a car allowing it to travel to different schools. The house features many different forms of alternate energy including solar power and wind energy. When the house is finished, students will showcase the house for demonstrations and inform others about alternate energy! LORAX, IMSA's environmental club, received the EPA Youth Award for its members dedication to the GoGreen Movement. IMSA has been named a 2009 Intel Schools of Distinction winner, taking the top honor for "science excellence" at the high school level. Each year, only one high school in the nation is the recipient of this prestigious recognition.

NATIONAL FUEL CELL RESEARCH CENTER PROJECT

University of California, Irvine

"Green Team" students at Lakeside Middle School, led by Beth Zemke, working with Anaheim High School Transportation Academy, led by Brett Schumm, in partnership with the National Fuel Cell Research Center at University of California Irvine are investigating transportation using hydrogen fuel cell energy. UC Irvine researchers are doing some cutting-edge work on hydrogen-powered cars, which could be commercially available in a few years, Students from both schools, working in teams with graduate students at the University, participated in the Explore the Hydrogen Future event held conjunction with Hydrogen Road Tour 2009 at the UC Irvine Hydrogen Fueling Station. Students learned how fuel cells work in automobiles and observed hydrogen powered cars being fueled from the following automobile companies: Honda, Hyundai, General Motors, Nissan, Mercedes, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Students also heard presentations by key legislators and Dr. Scott Samuelson, Director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center. This student research project will continue in the 2009 / 2010 school year.

POSSIBLE ENERGY INVESTIGATIONS

1. Hydroelectric Power

2. Geothermal

3. Wind Energy

4. Solar Energy

5. Nuclear Energy

6. Petroleum

7. Coal

8. Biomass

9. Hybrid Vehicles