Congratulations to the winners of National Grid’s ENERGY STAR® 20th anniversary contest!
In honor of ENERGY STAR’s 20th anniversary this year, National Grid launched a contest challenging local summer programs to design creative, team-building projects that represent the values we share with ENERGY STAR — education, environmental protection and energy savings. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR has been empowering Americans to save money and help protect the environment through leading-edge technology, expert advice and customer education. As a leading ENERGY STAR partner and award winner, National Grid is proud to help make ENERGY STAR products and services accessible to our customers through rebates and incentives.
Learn more about our rebates on ENERGY STAR qualified products.
Congratulations to all the winners on their innovative ideas to help move our community to a brighter future!
Grand prize winners:
- The Aquidneck Island Day Camp in Middletown, RI created skits addressing environmental issues and teaching lessons about ways to take care of the earth. Family members and community members were invited to see the children perform the skits on stage.
- The Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts in Harvard, MA created a sustainable herb garden using composting and rainwater collected from buildings on the campgrounds. The herbs were used in meals prepared for the campers.
Creativity winners:
- Kids…Together in the Arts in Jamaica Plain, MA created sculptures from recycled materials to raise awareness on environmental issues and renewable energy. Plastic bottles composed the tree, and recycled green carnival tickets and the webbing from old lawn chairs created leaves. The lily pond and lily pad were created out of plastic bottles and boxes. The wind turbine was created out of milk jugs. The rainbow clothesline was made out of recycled shopping bags and old clothing.
- Just Paint in Worcester, MA wrote and performed a play about taking care of our planet. In the play, a group of evil puppet masters control a bunch of puppets to destroy the environment. In the end, the puppets realize they need to protect their planet to survive, so they team up to repair the damage – one step at a time. The kids also made their own puppets out of recycled materials.
- The YMCA of Smithfield, RI made a video of a synchronized swimming dance routine about saving the environment. Children demonstrated ways to conserve energy in and around the facility, including turning off running water, shutting off the lights when they are not needed and crushing boxes before recycling them.
Community impact winners:
- The Boys & Girls Club of Lower Merrimack Valley in Salisbury, MA planted a garden at the newly established Salisbury Community Garden. They created hand painted signs to point the way towards the garden.
- The Boys & Girls Clubs of Middlesex County in Somerville, MA put on an event called Go Green Go! Green Race Cars, which showcased campers’ race cars made from recycled materials.
Environmental impact winners:
- The Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick, RI cleaned up a local beach, which gave the children a better understanding of how important the participation of every person and every community is to keep the environment clean. They learned that even the smallest piece of trash can affect the environment and the natural habitat of animals living there. Campers made T-shirts, trash tongs and duck tape belts. A local hardware store donated 100 wooden paint sticks for our campers to make trash tongs. To bring awareness to recycling, our campers made belts and water bottle holders out of duck tape.
- The Cambridge YMCA in Cambridge, MA cultivated seeds into flowers, plants and herbs in a greenhouse. They used multiple fruit and vegetable containers as pots once seedlings grew. The children also cared for small caterpillars, nursing them into adult butterflies.
What did they win?
Each participating youth program received awards from National Grid and its partners including a party hosted by Radio Disney AM1260 at each camp; Boston Red Sox tickets and a chance to attend a pre-game batting practice; passes to the New England Aquarium and Museum of Science in Boston; and much more.
The two grand prize winners received a VIP trip to Boston GreenFest. The experience included limousine transportation to and from the event, considered the region’s largest multicultural environmental event. They even enjoyed a private meet-and-greet with Dylan Riley Snyder and Olivia Holt, stars of Disney XD’s "Kickin’ It." The winners’ projects were displayed in the Radio Disney AM1260 and National Grid booth in the EcoKids area at Boston GreenFest.
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