Hanahan Middle Wins $15,000 in Lexus Eco Challenge

Hanahan Middle School students spent time teaching their community about going local and it has paid off handsomely — winning $15,000 in the Lexus Eco Challenge.

For the third year in a row, Hanahan Middle students won first prize in the Eco Challenge. This year, the school raised awareness about the benefits of eating locally grown products.

According to Lexus, The Eco Challenge has awarded $4 million in grants and scholarships "to empower middle and high school students to learn about the environment and take action to improve it." The district release on the win is below.

Of the $15,000 prize, $3,000 goes to the school, $2,000 goes to the teacher and $10,000 goes to scholarships for the students involved.

The project is led by 7th grade science teacher Alexandra Davis and each year it's a different group of kids.

"They're very dedicated to it, said Principal Robin Rogers of the long hours and extra work the students put in to make the program successful. "And a lot of it has to do with the dedication of Ms. Davis."

The Hanahan community has always been supportive of the school, Rogers said. But the program has also allowed the school to reach farther out into the Lowcountry and let more people know about the school and its talented students, he said.

For the school's $3,000 share, it'll be putting the money in an eco-team account so that the students involved next year get started on the right foot. Rogers also said that Alcoa has been a strong supporter of the program.

The success does not go unnoticed by the rising seventh graders anxious for a spot on the team next year, Rogers said. "It's to the point now that we have to have tryouts."

Release, Berkeley County School District:

Lexus and Scholastic recently announced the Final Winners of the 2011-2012 Lexus Eco Challenge.  The program awards middle and high school teams across the country with scholarships and grants for the creation of innovative environmental projects. Hanahan Middle was one of eight teams who were awarded First Place prizes of $15,000 each.  It is the third time Hanahan Middle has been a finalist in the program.

"Through this program, Hanahan Middle School has demonstrated that they want to make the world a better place,” said Rodney Thompson, Superintendent.  “By coming up with real-world solutions to environmental challenges, students are learning how they can make a difference in the world around them." 

For their project, the Hanahan team focused on local foods. They constructed a greenhouse on campus, where students planted a variety of vegetables and herbs. They also organized a "Food Truck Round-Up," where local merchants were able to sell meals that were created with locally grown products. Team members include Murray Burn, Parker Futrell, Adeline Nguyen, Anna Sieger, Madeline Vick, Johnna Wallace, Katelyn Wilson, Brittany Young and Jessica Young.  Alexandra Davis is the team’s teacher advisor. 

Each Eco-Challenge First Place team won $15,000 -- $3,000 for the school, $2,000 for the teacher advisor and $10,000 for scholarships for the students. Along with Hanahan Middle, winning teams were:  Arboga Elementary School, Calif.; Clark Magnet High School, Calif.; Miami Palmetto Senior High School, Fla.; Leilehua High School, Hawaii; Tates Creek Middle School, Ky.; Whitehall Middle School, Mich; and West Geauga High School, Ohio.

The program also selected two Grand Prize winners, Jericho High School in Jericho, New York and SCAPA Bluegrass in Lexington, Ky., who earned $30,000 each.

This year's winners emerged from more than 400 registered teams representing nearly 3,000 middle and high school students nationwide. To view the winning entries, visit www.scholastic.com/lexus.