 | | | [Editor's Note: In the June 28 issue of the Lamorinda Weekly, the wrong photo ran with this story. Here are the Siler Award winners.] | | | | | | Some members of Campolindo ninth-grade Troop 30638 earned their Silver Award for their project, "Polystyrene Ban in Moraga School District." Emily M., Ava S., Aislinn W., and Alexandra Y. focused on the community issue of polystyrene (Styrofoam) use within the school district. Styrofoam is a carcinogen and can cause painful side effects due to chemical that leech into food and drink.
MSD buys lunches from various vendors, many of which are served in Styrofoam. The three elementary schools plus one middle school combine for 2,000 students. Over the course of a single year, literally tons of Styrofoam is used within the district. The negative impacts were presented to the school board, which was well received and the girls were asked to write out an official resolution. The ban was presented to the school board, which voted unanimously to adopt the resolution to ban Styrofoam. A month later, the board implemented the ban. The girls saw how board meetings were run, and policies made, as well as learned that people are willing to help make the world a better place to live in.
Other members of Campolindo ninth-grade Troop 30638 earned their Silver Award for their project, "Multimedia Presentations for the Elderly." Lily Mae C. and Christine Z. created a multimedia presentation to show to their local retirement home. As the seniors do not travel outside often, they can become disconnected with the world. The presentations kept them up to date with present day news and tried to teach them new things. Meetings were initiated for discussions during the presentations by asking questions. One difficulty encountered was keeping the seniors engaged, as they often fell asleep. Showing pictures and videos they enjoyed seemed to help keep their attention.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA