Atlanta students pitch solutions to environmental issues in STEM challenge finals
Students from across metro Atlanta gathered at Fernbank Science Center to pitch solutions to environmental problems in their communities during the Green Heart STEM Challenge finals.
More than 10 finalist teams competed in the challenge, presenting projects focused on issues such as recycling, tree canopy, and rising temperatures. Felicity West, a student at Drew Charter School, said her team created an arcade-style machine designed to make recycling more engaging.
"My team's project is an arcade-style machine where students throw away their trash and are able to earn points and incentives," West said.
Leesa Carter-Jones, CEO of the Captain Planet Foundation, said students were challenged to identify an environmental problem and create a solution.
"We asked them to identify an earth problem and put together solutions," Carter-Jones said.
Organizers said students spent months developing their projects before presenting them in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition.
West said her team came up with the idea after trying to find a way to make recycling more interactive for students.
"We were kind of stuck, and I was thinking about games, so we turned it into something fun," she said.
Other student teams focused on planting trees and creating greener spaces in their communities.
"We want to help our planet and create a good space for generations to come," said Elena Dinh of Elite Scholars Academy.
The top three teams each received $1,000 grants to help bring their projects to life. The first-place winner, Bioware Solutions from Tucker High School, focused on reducing environmental impact during lunchtime by replacing plastic and Styrofoam trays with biodegradable materials and expanding composting efforts.
Second place went to Compact from South Atlanta High School, which aims to address rising temperatures and poor air quality by planting trees and expanding green spaces.
Third place went to Georgia GroundBreak Hers from Mundy's Mill Middle School, a team working to restore contaminated soil using mineral-rich materials, composting and vegetation.
Carter-Jones said the challenge is designed to show students the power they already have to create change.
"Their youth is their superpower, and we want them to use it," she said.
Organizers said the program continues to grow, now reaching nearly 5,000 students and expanding to cities including Houston and Miami.
