>
HICKORY SPRINGS NAMES RIDGEWOOD, NJ SCHOOL WINNER OF NATIONAL COMPETITION CELEBRATING ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING
EARTHCARE CHALLENGE II GRAND PRIZE GOES TO SARA’S PRE-SCHOOL
HICKORY, N.C. – After 31 days of contest updates, photos and videos and over 1,200 fan votes on Facebook, Hickory Springs today announced Sara’s Pre-school in Ridgewood, NJ, as grand prize winner of its national social media competition, The EarthCare Challenge II.
Proving that it’s never too early to encourage a lifetime of earth-friendly learning, the contest followed five school groups from around the country as they embarked on green initiatives in their communities.
To win, the preschool developed a month-long curriculum to introduce Kindergarten Enrichment students to the concept of environmental awareness. The class carried out a wide array of projects which included identifying creative ways to repurpose materials, such as planting seeds in used yogurt cups, and holding Recycling Relay races to learn how to sort recyclable goods. In an effort to continue a tradition of eco-education, the students created books filled with their newfound knowledge, which they presented to the younger class.
“We congratulate each of our finalists who have made tremendous achievements with their students, making it very difficult to pick a winner,” said Hickory Springs Executive Vice President Dwayne Welch. “Sara Bauer, the team leader at Sara’s Preschool, really stood out for her tireless efforts combining a multi-pronged approach to her ‘March Green Up’ theme, along with updates which showed consistent creativity and progress through the page.”
In the lead-up to Earth Day on April 22, Hickory Springs will present the school with $1,000 to help fund future environmental learning initiatives, along with a sofa set manufactured
