Preserving Jersey City's "Hidden Jewel"

We are SOOO excited to share that our young friends at Christa McAuliffe School, PS 28 won the TOP PRIZE in Disney’s national Science competition! They competed against more than 10,000 students and came out on top. They have worked so hard, solved so many problems, learned so much, and taught us so much. It’s wonderful to see them — and their teachers — recognized!

The announcement was made this morning, March 19, 2012. The auditorium at PS 28 was filled with students who thought they were there to listen to an Earth Day speaker. But then Christiane Maertens, Program Manager of the Disney Planet Challenge, came on stage. At first she told the students that “Project Reservoir” was a Top 20 finalist and asked the 7th Graders to come up onto the stage. Then she introduced another guest. Her boss. Mickey Mouse! The auditorium erupted into cheers. He politely whispered into Christiane’s ear that she had made a mistake. He explained that they won the top prize and that they’d be going to Disney World!

As the DPC website explains, “Disney’s Planet Challenge™ (DPC) is a FREE, highly-acclaimed, project-based, environmental competition for elementary and middle school students all across the United States. The program inspires students to be good stewards of the environment and empowers them to make a difference in their school, at home and in their local communities. All of these goals are achieved, while teaching kids about science, conservation and positive ways to impact the planet.”

The students have been working on “Project Reservoir” since October 2011 when they visited the Reservoir. Over this period of time they have studied the plant and animal life, history, and their fellow-student’s interactions with nature. They built two aquaculture rooms. But why not let them tell you about all that:

But they haven’t just kept their knowledge private, they’ve launched a wonderful website to share what they’ve learned. Please visit the site and see all their amazing work. While you are there, why not leave a message congratulating the team.

The Reservoir Alliance has been so proud of these students and admired their work for some time. We were thrilled to be in attendance (along with several public officials and School Board representatives) to help surprise the students. They are an inspiration to us all. As one astute woman expressed this morning, “Remember, the Reservoir belongs to these students.” We couldn’t agree more. To the PS 28 student’s and faculty: Congratulations! Keep up the good work! And thank you for all you’ve done for the Reservoir!

Now, when I say 28, you say Challengers! 28…