Contact: Linda Topoleski, 412-281-2345, ltopoleski@dymun.com
Or: River Bluff Middle School, Team Coach Breinne Carroll, 608-206-0966
- UPDATE -
River Bluff Middle School Students Named as One of Eight Finalist Teams in National Competition—Win Trip to Walt Disney World®
Students Plan to Make Crosswalks Safer for Blind Pedestrians
AUBURN, NY—April 29, 2004—Bright ideas, solid research and teamwork won four students from River Bluff Middle School in Stoughton, WI, a berth as finalists in the Christopher Columbus Awards, a nationwide program that challenges middle-school students to explore opportunities for positive change in their communities. Eighth-graders Emily London, Renee Millar, Alexandra Macho and Sara Weaver, and their teacher Breinne Carroll, had made it to the semifinals earlier this month and now are one of eight teams in the country to compete for the grand prize.
Concerned that blind pedestrians were at risk crossing streets, these students developed a raised strip that would be applied across the center of crosswalks as a tactile guide to help blind pedestrians navigate in a straight path from one side to the other, reducing their time in the street and improving their safety.
As part of their research, the team interviewed the Wisconsin State Transportation Department and the Wisconsin Council of the Blind, researched crosswalk designs via the Internet, and talked with experts in mobility for the disabled. They tested their idea, called the ëUni-Bump,í with blindfolded students, teachers and parents using canes and found that it helped them increase speed and accuracy.
"The Uni-Bump would make crosswalks safer for visually impaired pedestrians," the team said. "It gives them a straight line they can feel to keep them on course which will help them cross quickly and safely."
A panel of community leaders, scientists and experts in science education judged this idea as one of the top eight entries in the U.S. Over 1,200 students participated nationwide.
Team Wins a Trip to Walt Disney World®
The team wins an all-expense-paid trip to the Walt Disney World® Resort, where they will compete in the Christopher Columbus Awards' National Championship Week, June 19-24, plus a $200 grant to further develop their ideas.
Each member of two Gold Medal winning teams will receive a $2,000 U.S. Savings Bond and one team will receive the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant as seed money to help bring its idea to life in the community. The Grant winner will receive support from the Christopher Columbus Awards staff and continued guidance from their coach and community leaders.
The finalists will also attend the Christopher Columbus Academy, a custom-designed educational program. Conducted by scientists, engineers and educators, the program reveals the science and technology behind the thrills and excitement of Epcot® and the Magic Kingdom.®
Positive Community Change
The Christopher Columbus Awards challenge teams of middle-school students to explore and discover opportunities for positive change in their communities using science and technology. The program is now in its eighth year and has attracted more than 12,000 students from diverse backgrounds all across the U.S. The program is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation with support from the National Science Foundation and it is endorsed by the National Middle School Association. Past winners have included a group of Native American girls who built a study hall out of straw on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, and a group of students from Pennsylvania who developed a video/motion sensor device for school buses that deters motorists from trying to pass illegally.
Strong Participation from Girls, Minorities
The program attracts many students who may not typically enter a science competition. More than half of the entrants are girls, and more than a fourth are from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, statistics that are higher than those of most science competitions. The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation believes the teamwork aspect and community focus draw a broader range of students to enter.
For more information, call 1-800-291-6020 or visit www.christophercolumbusawards.com.
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