Sustainability and play in Massachusetts and New York challenges
Submitted by Shawn Reeves
2013-06-08 23:06:34
In the annual Green Dollhouse Challenges organized by EnergyTeachers.org, K-12 students, families, youth groups, hobbyists, design/build students, and design/build professionals create toy-buildings to explore any number of concepts and technologies related to energy production and energy use, efficiency, materials, sustainable architecture, utility, aesthetics, appreciation of nature, renewable resources, true wealth, healthy living, clean air, and clean water. Sustainability can be expressed in the building and/or how people play with the finished product.
On April 13, 2013, over sixty participants arrived at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Mass., where sustainability organization Greening Greenfield hosted its Science and Sustainability Expo. In the expo, participants exhibited dollhouses, explained science and technology exhibits about sustainability, and competed to see whose table-top wind turbine design could produce the most energy in an event created by KidWind. Participants in each of the three segments won dozens of prizes.
Green Dollhouse awards included citations for aesthetics, landscape, insulation, recycling, renewable energy, simple living, re-use, day-lighting, craft, documentation, resource-sharing, and research.
You can read more about the event at Greening Greenfield's web site:
http://www.greeninggreenfield.org/about-us/press-room/399-science-and-sustainability-expo-success
On June 29, EnergyTeachers.org will bring the Green Dollhouse Challenge to New York State. It will be held 9:30AM to 1PM, Saturday, June 29, at the Sustainability Center, 111 N. Albany St, Ithaca, NY. Interested parties must register online. The challenge page at the following URL includes links for registering, descriptions of awards, rules, and a page of inspiring ideas to help get the ball rolling:
http://energyteachers.org/greendollhousechallenge.php
While supplies last, EnergyTeachers.org is offering material and financial support to youth groups, schools, and home-school families to start building entries.
The organization is also seeking help from the public, including donations and volunteers, to keep this successful program going—Click the Donate button on the web page to give today. Volunteers from green building, arts, planning, design, and education are needed as jurors.
The 2013 NYS Green Dollhouse Challenge is funded in part by Time Warner Cable.
Particpants explain their dollhouses to each other and the audience at the Massachusetts expo.