and the following Connecticut Science Centers

Introduction

 

1. Schedules and Deadlines
2. Team Make-up and Eligibility
3. Divisions
4. Registration Process
5. Submitting an Entry
6. Judging Criteria
7. Judging and Awards
8. General
9. Use of Copyright Materials
10. Disqualification
11. Finality of Decisions
12. Changes
13. Ownership of Materials
14. Non-Discrimination Policy

15. Responsible Party and Operator of the Program

 

Introduction

Scientific research on the earth's climate is producing significant new knowledge about how our climate system operates and the impact of human activity on it. This new knowledge brings great challenges, especially for today's young people, who may face serious climatic changes in their lifetimes if appropriate action is not taken now. But, every challenge presents opportunity.

Cool It! The Climate Change Challenge (Cool It!) provides an opportunity for Connecticut middle and high school students to learn about climate science and the causes of climate change and to create local solutions.

Students participating in Cool It! will:

· Learn the basics of climate science as well as how human activities are impacting our climate.

· Conduct a greenhouse gas emissions “inventory” of their schools, homes or other institutions to see how local activities contribute to climate change.

· Plan and implement a local solution to climate change project. Teams are encouraged to create solutions that are both innovative and effective. Awards will be presented to teams who create the best plans and to the team that gets the best results when they implement their plan.

There are no fees to participate in Cool It!

1. Schedule and Deadlines

a. 2007-2008 Registration and Entries

Registration for the 2007-2008 Cool It! Challenge begins immediately and ends at 5:00 pm on February 11, 2007. Registration will be done on the Cool It! web site. Coaches will receive an email confirmation that their teams' registrations have been approved within two weeks of submitting their registration form.

Entries for the 2007-2008 Cool It! program must be completed no later than the entry deadline of 5:00 PM Friday, April 18, 2008. Entry forms and instructions will be available on the Cool It! web site.

Judging of entries will be done in two rounds. The first round of judging will be held before April 30, 2008. All teams will be informed of the results no later than May 1, 2008. Finalists will be selected from the first round of judging.

Those teams selected as finalists will be invited to participate in the statewide judging and awards event on Saturday May 18, 2008 2007 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm at a location to be determined. The finalists will be notified of the location and time of their judging interviews no later than May 1, 2008.

b. Phase 1—2008 Solutions Plans

Teams who did not submit entries in the 2006-2007 competition may submit solutions plans for Phase 1 Judging. Registered but not submitting teams, teams who wish to restart, and new teams are eligible to participate in Phase 1. Solutions plans and Greenhouse Gas Inventories must be completed and submitted no later than 5:00 pm on April 18, 2008. All teams who submit these reports will be eligible for the Phase 1 judging. Details and a schedule for judging for Phase 1 will be posted on the Cool It! Web site at a later date, and incorporated into the 2007-2008 Cool It! Rules.

c. Phase 2 -- 2008 Implementation Report (Cool Results Award)

All teams who submit an entry in the 2006-2007 competition may submit an implementation report documenting the implementation of their plan and the results. Implementation reports must be completed and submitted no later than 5:00 pm on April 18, 2008. All teams who submit these reports will be eligible for the Cool Results Award. Details and a schedule for judging for the Cool Results award will be posted on the Cool It! Web site at a later date, and incorporated into the 2007-2008 Cool It! Rules.

2. Team Makeup and Eligibility

In order to participate in the Cool It! Challenge, applicants must be members of a team. A team may have from one (1) to fifteen (15) students. A team must have one adult coach. All student members are expected to make significant contributions to the success of the team. Coaches will be expected to help with team formation and organization, provide guidance and encouragement, and help students establish relationships with experts, local organizations, businesses, and/or government agencies to support their efforts. Other ways in which coaches may assist students include:

• Helping to obtain accurate data for the greenhouse gas inventory
• Helping the team set up and keep to a project schedule,
• Setting up interviews and meetings for the team,
• Reviewing and making suggestions on the team's solution plan, and entry forms.
• Completing and submitting the team registration.

Students, however, must conduct the greenhouse gas inventory, and create and lead the implementation of their solution plan. The coach will be responsible for the timely completion and submission of the team's registration form. The coach must have an active e-mail address for regular communication with the Cool It! staff. All announcements and updates for Cool It! Challenge teams will be sent via email to the teams' designated email address and will be posted on the Cool It! Web site.

Individual Eligibility

A STUDENT is eligible to participate if he or she is a student in Grades 6 through 12 (or equivalent) on the registration deadline in:

• Any public, private or parochial school in Connecticut.
• Any home school in Connecticut that meets all requirements of the jurisdiction(s) having authority over the education of its student(s).

Additionally:

A student may not be a member of more than one Cool It! team during the 2007-2008 program year.

A team may consist of students from the same and/or different grades and/or schools.

A COACH is eligible if he or she is:

• A teacher, librarian or other employee on the professional staff of a school attended by at least one of the student team members, or a teacher at a home school attended by at least one of the student team members, or

• A professional staff member or official volunteer of a non profit organization, such as a Boys or Girls club, community center, church youth group, museum or nature center, or similar organization, having among its purposes the education of students in grades 6 through 12,

AND IS

• Approved by the parent or guardian of each student on the team,
• Able to give regular help and coaching assistance to the student(s) he or she has agreed to coach, and
• Over the age of 18 on the Registration deadline.

A person may coach with more than one team.

Employees of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, and of Clean Air-Cool Planet that are actively involved in Cool It are not eligible to participate as team members or coaches.

3. Divisions

Phase 1: The Cool It! Challenge will have two divisions; middle school, for students in grades 6 through 8, and high school, for students in grades 9 through 12. The rules and judging rubric for each division will be the same. However, middle school teams will be judged against other middle school teams and high school teams will be judged against other high school teams. Separate Phase 1 awards will be provided in both divisions.

Phase 2: For the Cool Results award, all teams will compete for the same award.

A team will be judged in the middle or high school division based on the grade level of its highest grade student member. Thus, a team with two 8th grade students and one 9^th grade student will compete in the high school division.

4. Registration Process

Coaches and students may recruit team members, form a team, conduct climate science research, conduct a greenhouse gas inventory, develop a solution plan and begin the registration process at any time before the registration deadline. There is no required sequence for this process, but each team must complete before the registration deadline of February 11, 2008. The registration form must be submitted online using the Cool It! Web site. Teams should register as early as possible to allow enough time to address any problems that could occur during registration.

The Registration process will require:

• Information on team members, coaches, and schools or other sponsoring organizations,
• The division in which the team is competing (middle school or high school),
• The coach's assurance to the Cool It! Organizers that:

• She or he has either obtained a signed consent from the parent or guardian of each student member of the team (in accordance with the regulations or practices of the local school district), or has informed the parent or guardian of the student's participation in the Cool It! Challenge and has received oral consent from the parent or guardian for the student's participation. (A sample parental permission form is available on Cool It! Web site.)
• She or he, and the students and their parents or guardians, will abide, and be bound by the Cool It! Rules.

5. Submitting the Entry

Phase 1: A completed entry consists of three items:

• A completed greenhouse gas inventory of the team members' school, home(s), community center or other entity.
• A local climate change solution plan and,
• Completed entry forms.

Phase 2: A completed entry consists of two items:

• A local climate change implementation plan and,
• Completed entry forms.

Forms, instructions and guidelines for the greenhouse gas inventory, solution plan, and entry forms will be available on the Cool It! Web site. When the team has completed and submitted these entry items, its entry will be reviewed and scheduled for judging. Only teams that have submitted all items listed above will be judged.

6. Judging Criteria: The following criteria will be used to evaluate all entries.

Phase 1

I. Innovative Solution

a. Innovation - (10 points) The solution plan includes original ideas or uses proven ideas in new and creative ways.

b. Sustainability - (10 points) Features of the plan make it probable that the program will continue beyond the first year of implementation.

II. Teamwork

a. How do the Team and the Plan Work? ( 10 points) The plan is feasible (likely to succeed) with the resources described and available, and the team shows evidence of working well together to complete the project.

b. Implementation- (10 points) There is a high probability that the plan can and will be put into action, and that the team will work together.

III. Collaborative Work Award (outside of the team)

a. Collaboration - (10 points) Individuals and/or organizations have made commitments to participate in the project. Their contributions to the project will enhance the results.

b. Community – (10 Points) The team has actively and significantly involved members of the community in the solutions plan.

IV. Climate Change Impact

a. Measures of Success - (10 points) The goals of the plan are clear and have been translated into objectives that can be clearly measured. The plan includes steps to effectively measure achievement of the objectives.

b. Effectiveness- (10 points) If implemented as described, the goals of the plan are likely to significantly reduce local causes of climate change.

V. Presentation to the Judges

a. Clear, Concise and Complete - (10 points) The team's presentation clearly, concisely and completely describes the solution plan and how it meets the judging criteria; and the presentation uses appropriate materials, such as posters, graphics, photography and other visual aides.

b. Team knowledge – (10 points) During the presentation and question and answer session with judges, all team members demonstrate thorough knowledge of climate science and of their greenhouse gas inventory and solution plan.

Phase 2

I. Innovative Solution

a. Innovation - (10 points) The implemented plan includes original ideas or uses proven ideas in new and creative ways.

b. Sustainability - (10 points) Features of the plan make it probable that the program will continue beyond the year of implementation.

II. Teamwork

a. How do the Team and the Plan Work? ( 10 points) The implementation shows feasible (likely to succeed) with the resources described and available, and the team shows evidence of working well together to complete the project.

b. Implementation- (10 points) The solution plan was effectively put into action, and the team worked well together.

III. Collaborative Work Award (outside of the team)

a. Collaboration - (10 points) Individuals and/or organizations outside of the team have made commitments to participate in the project. Their contributions to the project enhanced the results.

b. Community – (10 Points) The team has actively and significantly involved a diverse group of members of the community in the solutions plan implementation.

IV. Climate Change Impact

a. Measures of Success - (10 points) The goals of the implementation plan are clear and have been clearly measured. The plan includes steps to effectively measure achievement of the objectives.

b. Effectiveness- (10 points) If implemented as described, the goals of the plan are likely to significantly reduce local causes of climate change.

VI. Presentation to the Judges

a. Clear, Concise and Complete - (10 points) The team's presentation clearly, concisely and completely describes the solution plan and how it meets the judging criteria; and the presentation uses appropriate materials, such as posters, graphics, photography and other visual aides.

b. Team knowledge – (10 points) During the presentation and question and answer session with judges, all team members demonstrate thorough knowledge of climate science and of their greenhouse gas inventory and solution plan.

7. Judging and Awards

Each entry will be reviewed and scored based on the Judging Criteria. Judges will select the finalist and winning entries in each of the two Phase 1 Divisions, and the winner of the Phase 2 contest. The winners in each Phase 1 division will receive the awards listed below. There will be only one Cool Results Award. Phase 1 teams may win more than one award in their division.

All members of finalist teams will receive an Award Certificate and prize package.

Phase 1 Middle School Division Awards:

· Innovative Solution Award $1000

· Teamwork Award $1000

· Collaborative Work Award (outside of the team) $1000

· Climate Change Impact Award $1000

· Presentation to Judges $1000

·

Phase 1 High School Division Awards

· Innovative Solution Award $1000

· Teamwork Award $1000

· Collaborative Work Award (outside of the team) $1000

· Climate Change Impact Award $1000

· Presentation to Judges $1000

The Cool Results Award

In May of 2008 one team will win The Cool Results award of $10,000.

All teams that submitted an entry in the 2006-2007 Cool It! Challenge, regardless of whether they received an award, will have the opportunity to submit an implementation report in February of 2008 documenting the results of the first year of their solutions projects. These reports will be evaluated by judges based on the following criteria:

· Documented achievement of goals in the original solution plan;

· Other achievements documented by the team.

· Creativity and perseverance in successfully overcoming challenges;

· How effectively the team used the resources they had to work with;

· Participation and contributions made by individual and organizational partners;

· How likely the program is to continue beyond the second year, and or be replicated by others.

· Emphasis will be made on Innovation, Teamwork, Collaboration, Climate Impact and your presentation to the judges.

Members of the implementation team may differ from those who submitted the original solutions plan. To be eligible for the award, students must have participated in the implementation of the plan and be listed in the implementation report.

Notes on Awards

Note 1. Awards may change and/or other awards may be added at the discretion of Cool It! management. All changes will be announced on the Cool It! Web site.

Note 2: At the time teams submit their entries they will be able to choose how any monetary awards they win will be distributed.

Phase 1: Teams may choose to:, 1. Use the award to fund the implementation of their project, in which case the funds will be deposited into a specified project bank account; or 2. Donate the award to their school or other non-profit organization or charity.

Phase 2: Teams may choose to: 1. Divide the funds evenly among the student team members; 2. Use the award to fund the implementation of their project, in which case the funds will be deposited into a specified project bank account; or 3. Donate the award to their school or other non-profit organization or charity.

Note 3. Monetary awards will be disbursed in the form of checks and/or US Savings Bonds, at the discretion of Cool It! management. Awards may be subject to federal and state income tax. It is the responsibility of the awardees to pay all applicable taxes; however, taxes will be withheld if required by law.

8. General

Each team member must make significant contributions to the success of the team and be a full participant in the development of the entry.

Students are encouraged to seek guidance from parents, coaches, friends, technical experts and/or published materials. They will be encouraged to enlist other people or organizations to collaborate on the development and implementation of their solution plan. However, the inventory and the solution plan must be primarily the work of the student team, and the implementation of the plan must be led by the student(s). All contributions or participation by any person or organization (other than students in the team) must be clearly identified and described.

All materials in each entry must be suitable, in the opinion of the Judges, for use in schools.

9. Use of Copyrighted Materials

No entry may include the words, images or other materials that were created by another person unless there is an accurate citation to the quoted or reproduced material. If materials from other sources are used, written permission to quote or reproduce these materials must be obtained from the creator or owner of such intellectual property, and a copy of such permission shall be included with the entry materials. The word "material" as used in this section includes text, images, and data included in the entry.

Except, very short quotations from materials printed in newspapers, magazines, and books or on the Internet will be allowed if an accurate citation to the quoted material is included in the entry.

No entry may include any trademarked material(s) without the written permission from the owner(s) of the trademarked material(s).

10. Disqualification of Entries, Participants or Teams

Cool It! management may decide to disqualify an entry if:

1. There has been no timely and proper submission of the registration, the entry (including all items required by the instructions for the entry on the Cool It! Web site), or the implementation report (for the Cool Results Award only).

2. There is a violation of any portion of the rules, or the required forms.

If a registration, entry or implementation report that is submitted on time contains an omission(s) or error(s) that violate(s) the conditions above in a relatively unimportant or non-substantive manner, Cool It! management may, at its discretion, overlook it or send a message to the submitting team pointing out the violation(s) and giving the team a designated period of time to complete or correct its registration or entry.

If an entry contains materials that appear to violate any of these rules, Cool It! management may, at its discretion, disqualify the entry in its entirety or remove the materials from the entry that appear to violate such rules or requirements.

11. Finality of Decisions

All Entries will be reviewed and evaluated by judges based on the Judging Criteria. Each decision of Cool It! management and each decision of any of the Judges, with respect to any matter related to this program, shall, in all respects, be final and binding on the team member(s), his or her or their parents or guardian(s), the school(s) or organizations, and the coach(es), and shall not be subject to review.

Cool It! management reserves the right to conduct personal interviews with potential award winning students.

If Cool It! management and the Judges determine that there are not enough meritorious Entries to justify making an Award, they may choose not to make any or all of the awards listed above.

12. Changes

Extensions of Challenge Deadlines – Cool It! management may extend any challenge deadline, and will post any such extension on the Cool It! web pages.

Changes in Team Membership - If one or more members of a team should be unable to continue to participate for any reason, the team shall notify Cool It! management at the earliest possible opportunity and Cool It! management shall decide what actions to take.

13. Ownership of Registration and Entry Materials

Materials submitted in the registration, entry, and implementation report will not be returned to the team. Cool It! and Clean Air-Cool Planet will have the right to make all or a portion of any entry or implementation report, as it initially is or as it may be modified, available for use by others, and/or to distribute it in any manner, for example, in print or digital marketing or promotional materials, on the Internet or on CD-ROM, etc.

14. Non-Discrimination Policy

Cool It! does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin.

15. Responsible Party and Operator of Cool It!

The Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University is the administrator of Cool It! The Climate Change Challenge program. Cool It! is funded in part by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and is supported by Clean Air-Cool Planet and the Connecticut Science Center Collaborative.