High Tech Envirothon Teams Finish in Top Ten in Statewide Competition and Earn a Feature on Classroom Close-Up NJ

(Elmer, NJ--May 5, 2018) Seven High Tech students comprising two High Tech teams participated in the statewide Envirothon competition against 27 other teams at Camp Grice, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech.

Team #1 comprised seniors Eleanore Woodruff, a resident of Weehawken, and West New York resident Amir Mustafa, who earned a 10th place win in the state, and in spite of possessing only two members in a five-member team competition, Team #1 placed 2nd in the Team Presentation category.

Team #2 consisted of seniors Alex Seth Becerril of Bayonne and North Bergen resident Soham Shah, with juniors Aubrey Beam, a resident of Jersey City, and Sarah Bacha and Zhixiu Zhang of North Bergen. Team #2 earned a 5th place win in the state. and placed 2nd in the Wildlife category.

Meanwhile, in a segment celebrating the 25th anniversary of the New Jersey Envirothon, a camera crew from NJEA’s Classroom Close-Up NJ followed Team #2. Classroom Close-Up NJ, a half-hour television program, features innovative projects in New Jersey public schools, the only program in the country devoted to featuring positive happenings in public schools.. The 15-time Emmy®-winning show, now in its 24th season, airs on NJTV every Sunday at 7:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m, and the segment featuring Team #2 will air in October 2018.

In preparing for the New Jersey Envirothon competition, high school students pursue in-depth knowledge about New Jersey’s natural resources and gain skills needed to navigate the complex environmental issues of today and tomorrow. Guided by a local teacher or parent, the participants employ online study guides and attend in-person training workshops provided by natural resource professionals from the various sponsoring organizations.

Early in May, teams of five students convene for a day-long, problem-solving competition, with honors, prizes, and scholarships at stake. Areas of competition include Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife, Team Presentation, and a Current Environmental Issue. One week prior to the event, students receive an environmental issue or real-life scenario for which they must (1) explore the natural resources, implications, and stakeholders involved, (2) collaborate to devise a solution, and (3) give a team presentation to a panel of judges on the day of the competition.

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