The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the College Board today announced the finalists in the 2012 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a national competition designed to encourage K-12 students to tackle environmental issues in their own communities. These 72 teams– comprising more than 850 students representing 34 states – will vie for more than $300,000 in scholarships, educational trips, and other prizes for their work on advancing the global green initiative.
This year’s finalists’ projects include: developing a new method to detect detergent contamination in water, educating peers on the environmental effects associated with using disposable water bottles and creating a way to harness energy through electromagnetic inductance.
As part of a rigorous three-part judging process, a panel of environmental advocates, science teachers and professors selected this year’s finalists based on the project’s ability to creatively present a viable solution and engage their communities. National winners will be announced on May 30, 2012.
For more information on the Challenge, the state finalists and their projects, visit www.wecanchange.com.