Oklahoma elementary school wins $5,000 grand prize for space inspired creation
Mustang Elementary from Mustang, Okla. has been named the grand prize winner in Evergreen Packaging's Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest. Evergreen Packaging, a leader in paperboard carton manufacturing, has sponsored the competition since August 2012. The Fall 2013 theme was "Transportation." Students at Mustang Elementary were inspired by the solar system and constructed a model space shuttle called the "Apollo M.E." using more than 41,000 gable top milk cartons.
"We are amazed at the creativity and hard work students put into their carton designs," said Katie Lewis, Associate Marketing Manager for Evergreen Packaging. "Giving the kids a hands-on challenge allows them to be responsible for their own recycling efforts in a fun way and paves the way for eco-friendly education."
The Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest encourages carton recycling and milk consumption among school-aged children. 101 entries from schools across the U.S., made up of nearly 95,000 gable top milk cartons, were submitted for a chance to win up to $5,000 by having classroom teams design and construct creations made from empty school milk cartons. Each team also had to write a short essay on how their school would use the prize money, and the students at Mustang Elementary will use their $5,000 prize to purchase new gymnasium equipment for their use and the use of future students. To see the winning creations, as well as all submissions, visit www.madebymilkcontest.com/see-entries/.
"The kids were so excited to make a creation with their milk cartons. The whole school got involved, so each child was invested in it," said Kent Hathaway, art teacher at Mustang. "We look forward to participating in the competition again."
The Made by Milk program is one of Evergreen Packaging's ongoing efforts to raise awareness among consumers on the eco-friendly benefits of paper cartons. Cartons are an eco-friendly packaging choice because more than 70 percent of milk carton packaging is paper, made from trees, a renewable resource. Currently, more than 56 million households in the United States have access to recycling programs that accept paper milk cartons.
Several other schools were recognized across various categories for their innovative and creative carton designs. They include:
-- People's Choice Winner:
-- Matt Arthur Elementary, Kathleen, Georgia; "The Matt Arthur"
-- Elementary School Winners:
-- Trailridge Elementary, Lee's Summit, Missouri; "Mystery Milk
Machine"
-- Glade Hill Elementary, Glade Hill, Virginia; "Then and Now"
-- Poteau Upper Elementary, Poteau, Oklahoma; "Voyage Into Education"
-- Middle School Winners:
-- St. Helena - Incarnation Catholic School, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; "The Ferocious Dragon"
-- Reeds Spring Middle, Reeds Spring, Missouri; "What's 'UP' Dog House"
-- Haynes Bridge Middle, Alpharetta, Georgia; "Flying Buttermilk and
the Pirate"
-- High School Winners:
-- The Young Women's Leadership School of Astoria, Astoria, New York;
"NYC Taxi"
-- Performance Learning Center, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; "Double
Decker Bus"
-- Benjamin N. Cardozo High, Bayside, New York; "Got Milk, Will Travel"
Interested in participating in the upcoming Spring 2014 Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest? The program resumes with a new theme, "Stories!" Participants are required to use a minimum of 100 cartons to build a character, symbol or scene from a story. Think fairy tales, epic sagas, or science fiction! Entries will be accepted now until April 16, 2014. Visit www.madebymilkcontest.com for official rules and upcoming contest details.
