Students from Arlington High School are doing their part to spread the word about the importance of environmental protection — and have earned a scholarship in the process.
Scholastic recently announced the High School First Prize winning teams of the Lexus Eco Challenge, a national scholarship competition for teens across the United States in grades six through 12 who inspire and empower young people to learn about the environment and take steps to make it better for their communities and world.
Shane Tully, Joanna Abouezzi, Austin Gasparini, Zachary Hyde, Kesava Varanasi and Adam Ren, all seniors from Arlington High School, were the winning team for their school and won a total of $25,000 in the Lexus Eco Challenge. Teacher adviser Maribel Pregnall and her team took it upon themselves to get the word out about ocean acidification.
Ocean acidification means difficulties for plant life, issues for fish reproduction and ultimately huge negative impacts on fishing industries. The students conducted lectures, after-school presentations, and communicated with local researchers and legislators on the environmental issue.
Through the Lexus Eco Challenge, more than 26,000 middle and high school students have earned more than $4.5 million for themselves, their teachers and their schools. This is the eighth year of the competition and $500,000 in grants and scholarships will be awarded in total.
For more information, visit http://lexus.scholastic.com.
Poughkeepsie Journal, 23 April 2015. Article.
