After 31 days of contest updates, photos and videos and over 1,200 fan votes on Facebook, Hickory Springs today announced Sara’s Pre-school in Ridgewood, NJ, as grand prize winner of its national social media competition, The EarthCare Challenge II.
Proving that it’s never too early to encourage a lifetime of earth-friendly learning, the contest followed five school groups from around the country as they embarked on green initiatives in their communities.
To win, the preschool developed a month-long curriculum to introduce Kindergarten Enrichment students to the concept of environmental awareness. The class carried out a wide array of projects which included identifying creative ways to repurpose materials, such as planting seeds in used yogurt cups, and holding Recycling Relay races to learn how to sort recyclable goods. In an effort to continue a tradition of eco-education, the students created books filled with their newfound knowledge, which they presented to the younger class.
“We congratulate each of our finalists who have made tremendous achievements with their students, making it very difficult to pick a winner,” said Hickory Springs Executive Vice President Dwayne Welch. “Sara Bauer, the team leader at Sara’s Preschool, really stood out for her tireless efforts combining a multi-pronged approach to her ‘March Green Up’ theme, along with updates which showed consistent creativity and progress through the page.”
In the lead-up to Earth Day on April 22, Hickory Springs will present the school with $1,000 to help fund future environmental learning initiatives, along with a sofa set manufactured by Craftmaster Furniture and featuring Hickory Springs’ line of EarthCare Inside components. The furniture will be used to furnish the school’s common area and stage.
The company first launched the EarthCare Challenge in 2010, bringing to life the quest of young adults seeking to live more sustainably. This year’s contest broadened the company’s reach through schools. Finalists brought together families, friends and communities at large to vote for their favorite through the contest home, facebook.com/earthcarechallenge.
A panel of green experts helped with judging the competition and included Marc Sloot, a green building specialist with SALA Architects, Inc. and Chairman of the Minnesota GreenStar Residential Green Building Program’s technical committee; Brian G. Allen, social venture entrepreneur and Vice-Chair of the American Solar Energy Society’s Sustainability Division; and Amy Todisco, a green lifestyle writer, consultant and coach, and owner of green products e-commerce site, GreenLivingNow.com.
More than 1,150 social media users have become fans of the contest on Facebook and Twitter to date.
For more information on The Hickory Springs EarthCare Challenge, visit www.earthcareinside.com and click on “Take the Challenge.”
About Hickory Springs: Hickory Springs’ headquarters is located in Hickory, North Carolina, where the international, privately-held company was first founded in 1944 as a producer of furniture springs. Hickory Springs has grown into one of the nation’s largest integrated manufacturers to the furniture and bedding industries with more than 60 operating facilities throughout the United States. In 2008, the company launched its EarthCare Inside line of components for upholstered furniture, including the industry-leading Preserve® bio-based foam, 100% recycled cotton, recycled sinuous steel and coils, among many other sustainable options. For more information, visit www.hickorysprings.com and www.earthcareinside.com.