Miranda Levingston, a fourth grader at Springside School for Girls in Philadelphia, won a $300 Green Award by turning trash into treasure.

Levingston won first place in the Great Green America Fest science competition sponsored by York College of Pennsylvania.

Miranda Levingston, now in 5th grade, went home after hearing of the environmental competition from her science teacher, and fashioned a dog from old garden twine. As time went on, she added trash she came across that would enhance her design - tissue paper, tin foil, bottle caps, discarded magnets, and keychain rings.

The judges determined the winner based on overall creativity, quantity of recyclable materials used, usefulness in simplifying a task for a tool or machine, enhancing the beauty of the earth for artwork or decorations, complexity, and design.

Besides winning her own cash prize, Levingston’s grand prize winnings mean that Springside will also receive a generous science equipment grant to be used in support of science education. (Submitted by Gretchen Harrison, Springside School, send email to: gharrison@springside.org )

9/28/2007