Evergreen Packaging, Memphis, Tenn., USA, this week announced the winners of its inaugural Carton 2 Garden™ contest, a nationwide competition that gives students hands-on experience in repurposing empty milk or juice cartons to build or enhance their school gardens. Classroom groups were required to collect at least 100 cartons of any size, including cartons from the school cafeteria or from home. Materials other than cartons were allowed in the creations, but renewable, natural materials were strongly suggested. Teams also had to submit up to 10 photos of their creation process.

The national winners of the contest are:

• Cordova Middle School (Memphis, Tenn.) Students built a replica of a paddleboat on the Mississippi River and learned about preventing pollution throughout the process.
• College Career & Technology Academy (Pharr, Texas) Housed in a former Walmart store, these students had to build their garden indoors, which presented a unique set of challenges such as creating a sustainable garden with minimum landscaping capabilities.
• Wallenpaupack South Elementary School (Newfoundland, Pa.) To build their garden and learn more about sustainable gardening practices, students organized a Skype session with growers in Kenya who provided insight on farming and gardening methods. They also donated their tomato plants to a local church food pantry.
• Vanderlyn Elementary School (Dunwoody, Ga.) The contest inspired students to partner with a local nature center dedicated to saving Monarch butterflies to build a pollinator garden illustrating the life cycle of a butterfly.

"Encouraging students to learn more about eco-friendly practices is one of the reasons we are committed to programs such as Carton 2 Garden," said Katie Simmons, marketing manager for Evergreen Packaging. "Each entry highlights connections between sustainability and recycling, and it was amazing to see the different approaches applied by each school team. Not only did the contest provide important teachable moments, it also inspired students to find new uses for everyday objects."

Nearly 150 schools across the country submitted entries to be judged on specific criteria, such as adherence to contest rules, creativity, use of sustainable materials, and visual representation. Schools were also encouraged to include a video or slideshow depicting their creation process from beginning to end. These videos were used to qualify entries to win national prizes. All entries were judged by a panel consisting of representatives from KidsGardening.org.

"Carton 2 Garden was created to provide an incentive for children to learn valuable lessons about recycling and reusing everyday products," said Jennifer Tedeschi, COO at KidsGardening.org. "Seeing their enthusiasm and the benefits of school gardens in action really reinforces this contest as an important educational tool."

 

 

The next Carton 2 Garden contest will take place in spring 2016. More information on the contest, and other ways Evergreen Packaging is promoting eco-friendly habits to school-age children is available online.