Explorer West did it again! For the third time in four years, an Explorer West team took one of the top prizes for the Environmental Issues Slam, sponsored by the Washington Foundation for the Environment. The Environmental Issues Slam presents seven important environmental issues in the region allowing audience members to decide on which issues are most urgent.
Two Explorer West teams took on teams from Eastlake High School, Madison Middle School, McClure Middle School, Chief Sealth High School, and Sustainability Ambassadors. Nine total teams competed for two awards.
The eighth grade team, named “Phase Out the Foam,” won the audience choice award. The team gave an outstanding and informative presentation about how styrofoam packaging should be phased out in Seattle areas. The thrilled students are already planning for their next Environmental Slam as high school students. The team was awarded $750 to donate to a charity of their choosing as well as tickets for a Puget Sound cruise sponsored by Sound Experience, co-hosts of the Slam.
With Explorer West’s Social Studies teacher Tim Owen’s guidance, the teams’ presentations were informative, educated and persuasive.
The Explorer West sixth grade team, named “Dirty Duwamish,” also gave an incredible presentation on the current pollution problem in the Duwamish River.
We would like to give a special thank you to all who came out to support these two groups’ hard work as well as all of the other fantastic student-created presentations on our regions pressing environmental needs. Thank you for making the Slam an Explorer West tradition!
