News Release C-04-00

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For Immediate Release (C-04-00) Contact:  Edward Fong, Cal/EPA (916) 324-9670 Ken Green, The Walt Disney Co. (818) 560-6166 May 19, 2000

LOS BANOS SCHOOL CLASS RECEIVES ENVIRONMENTALITY CHALLENGE GRAND PRIZE FROM THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY AND STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Anaheim, California – A class of fourth and fifth graders from Milano 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 promotes environmental awareness and encourages students to take responsible action to protect our natural resources.

Miano School teacher Stephanie Sparks and her class of 32 students were honored today at a special celebration and ceremony at Disneyland by Disney Chairman Roy E. Disney, California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Winston Hickox, Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary William J. Lyons Jr., California Resources Agency Undersecretary Michael Sweeney, and Disney Corporate Vice President for Environmental Policy Kym Murphy.

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

"I believe one of the keys to greater environmental awareness and appreciation is better environmental education of our children,"  Secretary Hickox said.   "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 protection our environment."

Ms. Sparks' class won the competition with its project called "Our Tree Project."  The students, 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 of wildlife, and producing food and shelter.  The students developed an interest in and love for trees in addition to learning about many 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 environmental contribution to their community.  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.

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.

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 statewide basis.

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

The Challenge is designed to be 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.

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