Three high school students from Energy Tech in Long Island City won City Parks Foundation’s (CPF) first-ever “Dolphin Tank,” successfully pitching a climate project to a team of environmental professional “judges.” CPF will now help them apply for a Sustainability Project Grant from the NYC Public Schools Office of Energy & Sustainability.

Nayeema, David, and Wilmely presented “Persephone’s Garden,” a project for a garden in front of Energy Tech, to reduce heat and support at-risk pollinators. They beat out three other teams, two teams from BASE High School (Brooklyn) and one team from Bronx Legacy High School (Bronx). “Dolphin Tank” was a “Shark Tank”-style event for judges and a live audience, at the Arsenal Gallery & Rooftop in Central Park.

The Eco-Innovators program is an afterschool program for 9th-12th graders. Students explore advocacy tools and learn techniques to help solve challenging environmental issues, including expanding green spaces, increasing recycling and reducing waste, and improving energy efficiency. Paid internships and career counseling are available to qualifying 11th and 12th grade students over the summer. The internship runs for six weeks over the summer between July and August.

City Parks Foundation is dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community engagement and capacity building, and environmental education programs for all New Yorkers. Its programs–located in 330 parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City–reach nearly 300,000 people and organizations each year. Its ethos is simple: thriving parks mean thriving communities.

Generous private support for Eco-Innovators is provided by The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, Rose M. Badgeley Charitable Trust, the Glenn W. Bailey Foundation, The Laura B. Vogler Foundation, and the Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation. Generous public support is provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Supporting Sponsor The Walt Disney Company.

 

Nayeema, David, and Wilmely presented “Persephone’s Garden,” a project for a garden in front of Energy Tech, to reduce heat and support at-risk pollinators.