Maddie Reichman – 2009 Middle School Grand Prize Winner

Maddie has always tried to do her part for the environment and has worked extensively with her classmates to reach out to the community to help educate and create awareness. She presented at community councils, passed out anti-idling air fresheners, and filmed a movie for other schools to use when hosting anti-idling campaigns. However, she wanted to do more. So she worked with her classmates to form the P.E.A.C.E. team, which stands for Protecting Everyone and our Cool Earth. Together, they created P.E.A.C.E. anti-idling lap blankets and a campaign to remind drivers not to idle unnecessarily. Rather than running their car heaters, the community was encouraged to keep warm by using the P.E.A.C.E. anti-idling lap blanket. Through this project, Maddie learned how to calculate pollution produced by vehicles and how to reach out to the community and make a difference.