2011 WINNER

Woodbridge, CT  (Amity High School, Woodbridge, CT/ ACES-ECA, New Haven, CT)

Having grown up in a Jewish community that made her aware of the concept of genocide and the phrase "never again" at an early age, Sivan Battat found herself growing increasingly disturbed at her peers' lack of awareness of the ongoing crisis in Darfur, Sudan.   After consulting a local Holocaust survivor and a Darfur survivor, Sivan wrote and produced an original play entitled Forever Running as a vehicle for increasing young people's awareness of genocide. The play melded   perspectives rooted in the Holocaust with perspectives drawn from contemporary violence in Darfur  to dramatize the pain and suffering of the victims of genocide. It has been performed for over 1000 students. Sivan plans to major in theatre at Wesleyan University, where a continuing area of interest will be the potential of theatre to help ignite social change. 

2011 WINNER

Hamden, CT (Hopkins School, New Haven)

When she learned that budget cuts had forced schools in New Haven to reduce or in some cases eliminate arts and music programs entirely, Claire Pershan recalled how important music had been to hear own learning experience in school, and decided to take action. Since music and the arts have been essential to Claire Pershan’s own learning experience. Determined to prevent inner-city students in New Haven from being deprived of the opportunity to make music themselves, Claire created “Vocal for Change,” a performing a capella choral group for children in two New Haven schools. Next year she will be studying education, English and environmental studies at Pomona College.

2011 WINNER

China and La Grange, NC (Arendell Parrott Academy, Kinston, NC; Wayne Country Day School, Goldsboro, NC)

During the nineteen-hour plane ride from China to the U.S., Qu Siying found it impossible to find a comfortable position for sitting or sleeping in her coach-class seat. Her body ached for two days from the contortions she had put it through. Months later that nineteen-hour trip in the other direction was an even greater ordeal for her American host mother, whose medical problems made it even harder for her to sit comfortably. Qu Siying decided to address this problem by using fabric and metal rods to modify a laptop bag into an innovative seat-extender that folds to the size of a  laptop (with a strap that lets it be carried on board as hand luggage) to provide greater comfort for airline travelers. Next year she will study design at Parsons School of Design, hoping to learn the professional skills she needs to work as a fashion designer when she returns home to China.

2011 WINNER

New Haven, CT (Cooperative Arts and Humanities Highs School, New Haven, CT; Eli Whitney High School, Hamden, CT)

Joel Suarez never lost sight of the fact that he came from “a low-income urban community in the state with the largest achievement gap in the United States.” He also recognized how crucial it was to him to have had the chance to learn filmmaking techniques from a local non-profit media design studio.  To give children younger than himself a sense that they, too, could find pleasure and satisfaction in the creative arts, Joel  designed  and taught film workshops for “at risk” youth in New Haven. Next year he plans to major in film at Quinnipiac University

2011 HONORABLE MENTION

Bridgeport, CT (Central Magnet High School, Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science & Technology Education Center, Bridgeport, CT

Titania Green was concerned about pollution in the Long Island Sound. Nitrogen being continuously discharged into the Sound was promoting the excessive growth of algae, which in turn was preventing enough sunlight from reaching shallow areas where submerged aquatic vegetation grew--plants that served as a habitat for shellfish and juvenile fish. Titania came up with an experiment that replicated local pollution levels in the lab to explore whether local oysters could help remove excess nitrogen from the waters around them. She is submitting her original findings to a scientific journal. Next year she will major in environmental studies at Green Mountain College.

2011 HONORABLE MENTION

Hamden, CT (Hopkins School, New Haven, CT)

When she learned that budget cuts had forced schools in New Haven to reduce or in some cases eliminate arts and music programs entirely, Claire Pershan recalled how important music had been to her own learning experience in school and decided to take action. Determined to prevent inner-city students in New Haven from being deprived of the opportunity to make music themselves, Claire created "Vocal for Change," a performing a cappella choral group for children in two New Haven schools. Next year she will be studying education, English, and environmental studies at Pomona College. 

2011 HONORABLE MENTION

China and La Grange, NC (Arendell Parrott Academy, Kinston, NC; Wayne Country Day School, Goldsboro, NC)

During the nineteen-hour plane ride from China to the U.S., Siying Qu found it impossible to find a comfortable position for sitting or sleeping in her coach-class seat. Her body ached for two days from the contortions she had put it through. Months later that nineteen-hour trip in the other direction was an even greater ordeal for her American host mother, whose medical problems made it even harder for her to sit comfortably. Siying decided to address this problem by using fabric and metal rods to modify a laptop bag into an innovative seat-extender that folds to the size of a laptop (with a strap that lets it be carried on board as hand luggage) to provide greater comfort for airline travelers. Next year she will study design at Parsons The New School for Design, hoping to learn the professional skills she needs to work as a fashion designer when she returns home to China. 

2011 HONORABLE MENTION

New Haven, CT (Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, New Haven, CT; Eli Whitney High School, Hamden, CT)

Joel Suarez never loses sight of the fact that he came from "a low-income urban community in the state with the largest achievement gap in the United States." He also recognizes how crucial it was for him to have had the chance to learn filmmaking techniques from a local, non-profit, media design studio.  To give children younger than himself a sense that they, too, could find pleasure and satisfaction in the creative arts, Joel designed and taught film workshops for "at risk" youth in New Haven. Next year he plans to major in film at Quinnipiac University.