News Release C-03-00

555 Capitol Mall, Suite 525 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 324-9670 FAX (916) 445-5563

For Immediate Release (C-03-00) Contact:  Edd Fong, Cal/EPA (916) 324-9670 Ken Green, The Walt Disney Co. (818) 560-6166 April 18, 2000

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY AND STATE OF CALIFORNIA CHOOSE LOS BANOS SCHOOL CLASS FOR TOP ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECT

Los Banos, California – A class of fourth and fifth graders from Miano Elementary School in Los Banos, Merced County, was presented today with the grand prize in the sixth annual Jiminy Cricket’s Environmentality Challenge, a statewide competition that is designed to promote environmental awareness, encourage students to learn about the environment, and take responsible action to protect our natural resources.

"It's really heartwarming for me, and all of us here at the Disney Company, to see so many young people working together, in their schools and communities, to make a real difference in our environment, both for today and for the future," said Roy E. Disney, Vice Chairman of The Walt Disney Company.

More than 2,530 classes with 77,500 students participated in this year’s Environmentality Challenge, a program sponsored by The Walt Disney Company and the State of California’s Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN). Since its inception in 1994, more than 254,500 students have participated in the program.

"I believe one of the keys to greater environmental awareness and appreciation is better environmental education of our children," said Winston Hickox, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. "The Environmentality Challenge program promotes in-depth, hands-on environmental education that is academically stimulating and fun. It’s a wonderful way to teach young people about the importance of preserving and protecting our environment."

Miano School teacher Stephanie Sparks and her class of 32 students will be honored at a special celebration and ceremony at Disneyland on May 19. Roy E. Disney, Secretary Winston Hickox, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, California Resources Agency Secretary Mary Nichols, and Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary William J. Lyons Jr. will participate in a unique ceremony honoring the Miano School students, including a special parade at Disneyland.

Ms. Sparks’ class won the competition with its project called "Our Tree Project." The fourth and fifth graders, working closely with Tree City USA, used class projects and assignments to learn about the importance and value of trees in the natural environment such as: consuming carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, providing habitat for wildlife, and producing food and shelter. The project sparked a class interest and love for trees in addition to learning about the different types of trees and how to plant and care for them.

The students took what they learned in their classroom and made a lasting community environmental contribution. They identified a public area in Los Banos that would significantly benefit from a greater number of trees, conducted a walk-a-thon to raise money, and planted 32 trees – one for each student – along a community walking trail adjacent to the Central California Irrigation District canal that runs through town.

The Miano School class was formally notified of the honor today at a surprise school assembly held by school Principal Barbara Ward, including special guests from The Walt Disney Company, Jiminy Cricket, the Environmentality spokescricket, and Kris McNamara, Director of Environmental Programs, along with Cal/EPA Deputy Secretary Kathy Fletcher. Also joining in the festivities were Rusty Areias, Director of the California State Department of Parks and Recreation and former state assemblyman from the Los Banos area, Los Banos Mayor Mike Amabile, and other special invited guests.

Previous grand prize winners include: Crocker-Riverside Elementary School in Sacramento for its project about the unique ecosystem and importance of vernal pools (1998-99); Vicentia Elementary School in Corona for its Santa Ana River project focusing on awareness of the impact of the arundo donax (1997-98); El Verano Elementary School in Sonoma County for environmental education and community service work to restore a local land preserve (1996-97); El Verano Elementary School in Sonoma County for habitat restoration of Point Reyes (1995-96); and Redway Elementary School in Humboldt County for developing a waste management and recycling program for local parks (1994-95).

Jiminy Cricket’s Environmentality Challenge is a partnership between The Walt Disney Company and CEEIN. CEEIN is comprised of representatives from the California Department of Education; Department of Food and Agriculture; and the departments, boards, and commissions of the California Environmental Protection Agency and California Resources Agency.

The Challenge is a fun way to inspire fifth graders to learn more about the environment and to apply their understanding through the development of a responsible environmental action project. The program encourages students to think and act environmentally at school, at home, and in their community.

Participants in the Challenge engage in a class project that targets real-world environmental challenges. The class develops and implements an action plan to address a challenge. The students describe their project results in a portfolio that is judged competitively on a regional and statewide basis.

Teachers are encouraged to use quality environmental education materials made available through CEEIN and to incorporate activities into their core curriculum. Many projects use an interdisciplinary approach to develop conceptual understanding of what is being learned.

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