Rubber Recycle™ in the News

Hillel Academy Students Named as One of Eight Finalist Teams in National Competition—Win Trip to Walt Disney World®

Students Test Stones, Mulch, Rubber, Sand and Gravel to Develop the Safest, Cleanest Playground Surface

AUBURN, NY —April 29, 2004 —Bright ideas, solid research and teamwork won four students from Hillel Academy in Fairfield, CT, a berth as finalists in the Christopher Columbus Awards, a nationwide program that challenges middle-school students to explore opportunities for positive change in their communities. Eighth-graders Yori Thau, Jay Estes, Jason Friedman and Michael Epstein, and their science teacher Karen Howell, had made it to the semifinals earlier this month and now are one of eight teams in the country to compete.

Every year, more than 200,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for playground related injuries, 70% of which are caused by falls on tough surfaces. Statistics like these prompted this team to test and develop what they consider to be the safest and cleanest playground surfaceÛrecycled rubber. By dropping eggs, growing mold and conducting shoe invasion tests with different playground surfaces, the students determined that rubber would absorb the impact of falls, stay clean of mold and weeds, be most accessible to handicapped visitors, and be less likely to track into children's shoes and inside buildings.

The students researched the various surfaces through their own tests, data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Handbook for Public Playground Safety and design experts. They plan to educate township and school officials about the benefits of recycled rubber to encourage them to renovate existing playground that currently have blacktop or other surfaces.

"In the near-term, we would like to improve the playground at our school by installing recycled rubber over the mulch surface that is there," the students said. "Ultimately, we hope to convince community leaders that recycled rubber is the way to go to improve safety at all playgrounds."

A panel of community leaders, scientists and experts in science education judged this idea as one of the top eight entries in the U.S. Over 1,200 students participated nationwide.

Team Wins a Trip to Walt Disney World®

The team wins an all-expense-paid trip to the Walt Disney World® Resort, where they will compete in the Christopher Columbus Awards' National Championship Week, June 19-24, plus a $200 grant to further develop their ideas.

Each member of two Gold Medal winning teams will receive a $2,000 U.S. Savings Bond and one team will receive the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant as seed money to help bring its idea to life in the community. The Grant winner will receive support from the Christopher Columbus Awards staff and continued guidance from their coach and community leaders.

The finalists will also attend the Christopher Columbus Academy, a custom-designed educational program. Conducted by scientists, engineers and educators, the program reveals the science and technology behind the thrills and excitement of Epcot® and the Magic Kingdom.®

Positive Community Change

The Christopher Columbus Awards challenge teams of middle-school students to explore and discover opportunities for positive change in their communities using science and technology. The program is now in its eighth year and has attracted more than 14,000 students from diverse backgrounds all across the U.S. The program is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation with support from the National Science Foundation and it is endorsed by the National Middle School Association. Past winners have included a group of Native American girls who built a study hall out of straw on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, and a group of students from Pennsylvania who developed a video/motion sensor device for school buses that deters motorists from trying to pass illegally.

Strong Participation from Girls, Minorities

The program attracts many students who may not typically enter a science competition. More than half of the entrants are girls, and more than a fourth are from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, statistics that are higher than those of most science competitions. The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation believes the teamwork aspect and community focus draw a broader range of students to enter.

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