One of My Life Lessons: The Importance Of The Journey
The ‘Big What If’s’ Need Your Vote
I just heard from a friend of mine that one of her co-workers is coaching a team of some pretty smart Ockerman Middle School students in Florence, Kentucky.
For weeks, the ‘Big What If’s’ (that’s the name they call themselves) were young researchers, collecting data, reviewing information and 
brainstorming ideas. Along the way they visited a chicken farm and met with a chemist.
And then the idea came. They invented…the TransEggit, short for the Transporting Egg Blanket. And what is a TransEggit, you may ask? That’s a logical question. It is simply a blanket that covers the inside of an egg carton and its color tells you whether the eggs are safe to eat – or not. A red blanket means the eggs have been unrefrigerated for more than two hours and need to be thrown away. The color pink means the eggs need to be put back into the refrigerator right away. And white means they’re ready to use.
The blanket can be used for any temperature sensitive food and it makes egg cartons recyclable.
“Salmonella, food poison, can be deadly for older adults, young children and for anyone with a low immune system. This invention alone could save several lives,” said Coach Bev Coe.
I don’t know about you but I’m pretty impressed. So were a group of judges at the recent Northern Kentucky Regional First LEGO League Tournament (coordinated by iSPACE), where the Big What Ifs won first place for their project presentation.
So now the team has advanced and needs your support. Their project is entered online in the FIRST® LEGO® Global Innovation Award and if they get the most votes by the end of February, 2012, they will be offered the opportunity to work with Edison Nation to professionally develop, produce, and take their invention to market. (A prize valued at up to $250,000 in product development services.) How cool is that!
“We have had a lot of fun learning and growing as a team. Everyone has encouraged us to go for this award. Everyone seems to love our idea, invention we created. Our motto is “Got Eggs!,” Bev said.
Please take a minute to visit the Award page to see their entry and all of the others too. You can vote every 24 hours.
Good luck team!
Kindness Spreads
Cincinnati Earth Day Awards Seeking Nominations
What do Megan Guldner, Rhiannan Hoeweler and Alan Hagerty all have in common? They are all 2011 recipients of the Cincinnati Earth Day Celebration Environmental Awards.
Megan, a science teacher and ecology club moderator at Roger Bacon High School, strives to always make students aware of issues relating to the environment.
In 2010 Rhiannon formulated a personal goal of making the Cincinnati Zoo the number one zoo in the country for recycling cell phones. By the end of the year she gathered over 10,000 phones.
Alan jump started the University of Cincinnati sustainability program where he serves as student director. He brought recycling to the entire university and started the Bike Share program where students rent bikes to ride anywhere in the city to conserve gas.
2012 Nominations Being Accepted
Do you know an organization or an individual who is working to make the Greater Cincinnati more environment friendly? Submissions for the award are due by March 16 at this link. All Awards will be presented during Cincinnati’s Earth Day celebration, April 21.
2011 Honorees: Teacher – Megan Guldne; Student – Alan Hagerty; Citizen – Rhiannon Hoeweler; Business – Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden; and Government – Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District
(with Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune and Cincinnati City Mayor Mark Mallory)
Loveland Twins Collecting Books For Charity
It’s no wonder Loveland Elementary School 3rd graders Alex and Hannah Laman love to read…and want others to experience that same joy. Brent and Angela Laman have always read to their children, in fact, ever since Alex and Hannah were babies.
So, when news came out that a lack of funding was going to cause some local school kids to not have access to books, the twins 
wanted to do something. With support from their parents, they had a nonprofit called ‘Adopt a Book’ up and running in no time.
What a great way to instill a love for giving…by encouraging children to find a way of passing along to others something that gives them so much joy.
Alex and Hannah (and Brent and Angela) have been busy reaching out to their classmates and other community groups. Their house has become a warehouse of sorts with stacks of stories – from Harry Potter to Dr. Seuss. Over 2,800 books have been donated to Adopt a Book so far; and Adopt a Book has in turn distributed 1,300 books to children through area organizations.
If you have children’s books that you would like to donate, please contact them at: adoptabook@fuse.net. You can also drop books off at Beech Acres Parenting Center in Anderson (where Brent facilitates some groups) – 6881 Beechmont Ave; 45230.
