YES! regional judging looked a little different this year with so many cancellations for students, but YES! was happy to be able to still hold our spring competition. We made some modifications but one thing stayed the same, the students impressed the judges with their great efforts to improve our waterways and local environments. The teams submitted final reports and were scored in the following categories: Project Planning & Completion, Goal Setting & Team Work, Ecological Impact, Community Impact, and Water Stewardship.
This year the West Central/Northwest region had 6 YES! teams compete in the regional competition. The teams were scored by 5 local judges including Dan Tepfer (Kandiyohi Power Cooperative), Tim Parsons (Terwisscha Construction), Sharon Oleson (Prairie Woods ELC Board Member), and Ethan Jenzen (MN DNR). The judges were blown away by how much the YES! teams accomplished this school year despite the challenge of school closing. One judge stated “It never ceases to amaze me what the kids can accomplish with YES! – these kids know no bounds!” The winning teams projects included restoring 38 acres of prairie, working on a rain garden, creating a single-use plastics lesson, testing and monitoring the Platte River, and more! These team are doing such great work in their communities and we are so proud of each and every one of our YES! teams! Congratulations to the winning teams!
West Central/Northwest Regions
1st Place Award Recipient – Lac qui Parle Valley High School
- Awarded $400
- Advances to state competition
2nd Place Award Recipient – New London-Spicer High School
- Awarded $300
3rd Place Award Recipient – Discovery Woods Montessori School
- Each team was awarded $200
Water Stewardship Award Recipient – Royalton High School
- Awarded $400
- Advances to state competition
This year the Northeast Region had 4 YES! teams compete in our regional competition. We had two judges this year, Marte Kitson, Environmental Literacy Extension Educator from the Minnesota Sea Grant, and Mara Spaeth, Applications and Data Analyst from Lake Country Power. Both of our judges were really impressed with all the work that the students had done this year and the final scores for the teams were very close! Winning projects included reducing water bottle waste, educating the public on water quality issues, cleaning up lakes, and reducing food waste in their school. We are very proud of everything that the teams have done this year, and we are looking to see what they will do next year!
Northeast Region
1st Place Award Recipient – Northern Lights Community School
- Awarded $325
- Advances to state competition
2nd Place Award Recipient – Harbor City International School
- Awarded $225
3rd Place Award Recipient – Carlton High School
- Awarded $150
Water Stewardship Award Recipient – Carlton High School
- Awarded $250
- Advances to state competition
In the Southern/Metro regions four judges evaluated projects from teams: Jason Walker (development planner, SW Clean Energy Resource Teams & SW Regional Development Commission), Rachel Williams (energy and sustainability consultant, Willdan Group), Jim Dontje (director, Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation at Gustavus Adolphus College), and Holly Kreft (board member, Ney Nature Center). The judges were impressed by the winning team’s ability to sustain, improve, and build upon multi-year projects. For example, the students planted pollinator-friendly prairie plants at four sites in 2017; now that plants are established the students are planning interpretive signs that will identify flowers in bloom and the pollinators they attract. Other projects included collecting water-quality data for local streams, coordinating a recycling drive for holiday lights, improving systems to reduce waste in school cafeterias, and leading hands-on educational activities at school and public events. One key to the team’s success has been their ability to cultivate a strong network of support among local businesses, churches, and community organizations. In fact, one judge saw potential for students to apply their collaboration skills and experience by “serving as consultants for other organizations that want to build community relationships, engage citizens, and continuously improve their programs.” Wow!
Southern Region
1st Place Award Recipient – Sleepy Eye High School
- Awarded $400
- Advances to state competition
2nd Place Award Recipient – Mankato West High School
- Awarded $300
A special thank you to all the sponsors who have supported the regional prize awards this year including: Waste Management, Kandiyohi Power Cooperative, United Way of West Central Minnesota, Lake Country Power, and Ney Nature Center.
Major funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
