$5K Energy Conservation Grant Awarded to Ridgedale School

Ridgedale Middle School was the recipient of a $5,000 grant after the school community came together to spread environmental awareness.

The grant was awarded by the Alcoa Foundation and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. To receive it, the Ridgedale community endured a month-long energy conservation competition and pledged to take daily action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In total, 10,400 participants throughout the country made the pledge during the competition, which Alcoa said will save about 21 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equaling the amount of taking 2,000 cars off the road for a year.

"This was a team effort between the school and our employees," Pilar Gilgorri, human resources manager of the Alcoa Howmet-Dover Casting & Dover Alloy facility, said. "The HR team here in Dover truly embraced this challenge by sharing with the kids the passion for sustainability and the confidence that we could win if we really tried. The kids' enthusiasm for the program and for supporting their school was inspiring to us all."

This year's environmental conservation competition theme was "Make an Impact" as students and their teachers sought to make an impact in helping the planet. Alcoa works to improve the environment and educate leaders in engineering and manufacturing fields about being environmentally conscious while the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions works to promote policy changes that address energy and climate change.

While Ridgedale received the $5,000 grand prize grant, other schools across the country in California, Indiana and Washington received $1,000 honorable mention grants.

"Providing middle school students with practical ways to save energy and help the environment is especially rewarding," Center for Climate Change and Energy Solutions Vice President of Community Engagement Katie Mandes said. "We know we're giving them tools that they can use for a lifetime. We applaud the hard work and creativity of all the schools and communities that took part in this year's challenge."