Contact: Linda Topoleski, 412-281-2345, ltopoleski@dymun.com
Or: Team Coach/Home School Teacher Gail Vawter, 614-882-4381
- UPDATE -
Westerville Students Named as
One of Eight Finalist Teams
in National Science Competition—Win Trip to Walt
Disney World®
Record Northeast Blackout in 2003 Inspired Students to
Develop
'RoboSwitch' to Turn Off Lights in Teen Rooms
AUBURN, NY,—April 29, 2005—Bright ideas, solid research and teamwork won three students who are home schooled in Westerville, OH, 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-grader Michael Vawter, seventh-grader David Baker, and sixth-grader Michelle Vawter, and their coach, home school teacher and parent Gail Vawter, 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—the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant.
When a power surge in Ohio in August 2003 set off a chain reaction on the Northeast Power Grid, it caused the largest blackout in the Northeast in U.S. history. Seared in their minds, that event inspired these students to take action to reduce electricity use, starting in their own bedrooms. Using Lego® Robotics building materials and software, they developed a remote control switch they call 'Robo-Switch,' that can turn lights on and off from another location.
The students talked with area residents and businesses about their desires to save power costs, and their frustrations with people who leave lights and other electrical equipment on when they leave a room. They also tested several prototypes that are voice activated, can gradually lighten a room in anticipation of a morning alarm, and even keep track of siblings and babysitters who might be trying to enter a teenager's room.
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 1,100 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 winning team 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 ninth year and has attracted nearly 13,000 students from diverse backgrounds all across the U.S. The program is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation (www.columbusfdn.org) 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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