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Design Squad, the Intel Foundation, and BKFK
Announce the Grand Prize Winner
of the National “Trash to Treasure” Challenge
Max Wallack, 12, of Natick, MA nabs $10,000, provided by the Intel
Foundation,
for his "Home Dome" invention
Boston, MA—Wednesday, December 3, 2008— PBS’s award-winning TV show Design
Squad, the Intel Foundation, and By Kids For Kids Co. (BKFK), are pleased to
announce the Grand Prize winner of the national Design Squad “Trash to
Treasure” contest. Max Wallack of Natick, MA took top honors for his “Home Dome”
innovation, which is made primarily from discarded plastic bags, and seeks to
provide temporary housing for those in need of shelter, while simultaneously
addressing the problem of expanding landfills.
"Winning “Trash to Treasure” with my “Home Dome” design is especially fulfilling
because I have wanted to invent something to help the homeless ever since a
visit to Chicago six years ago,” said Max Wallack, 12. "I am also thrilled about
receiving the generous prizes [from the Intel Foundation]. Both the money and
the laptop will help me in my education, and as I work to develop my next
project.”
Max’s creation was selected as the winner out of more than 1,000 contest
submissions by a contingent of VIP judges representing companies committed to
innovation and design, including the Ford Motor Company, Wonka, Oreck, American
Express, Time For Kids, Atlas Devices, Covidien, Continuum, Targus, and
Unilever.
In addition to the $10,000 prize furnished by the Intel Foundation, Max will
visit the development lab at Continuum, an award-winning international design
and innovation consultancy, where he will see a prototype of his “Home Dome”
being built. Max and the contest’s four other finalists will each receive a
brand-new laptop computer powered by Intel technology.
“Inspiring the next generation of innovators is at the core of Intel's long
standing commitment to education” said Brenda Musilli, President of the Intel
Foundation. “We believe that young people are the key to solving global
challenges and “Max’s ‘Home Dome’ truly embodies the spirit of innovation and
demonstrates how engineering can change the world.”
The “Trash to Treasure” contest launched in April 2008 and challenged America's
youth to design entirely new products out of discarded items and materials. The
entries had to move things or people, protect the environment, or be played with
inside or outdoors.
Nate Ball, Design Squad host and fellow inventor said, “It’s no surprise
that the ‘Home Dome’ took first place in the contest. Engineering is about
helping people, and Max’s out-of-the-box idea does that in two ways: It offers a
way to provide shelter to those in need, and presents a creative option for
protecting our environment.”
Norman Goldstein, Founder and CEO of BKFK, commented, ”I would like to
congratulate Max on his thoughtful and timely invention. It's easy to forget the
grim reality that not everyone has access to a roof over their head. The Home
Dome elevates consciousness about our very human need for shelter, resulting in
a real and implementable product that can provide a feasible solution to those
in need.”
Learn more about other contestants and their “Trash to Treasure” inventions at
www.bkfk.com then visit the Design Squad
website at www.pbs.org/designsquad
to learn more about the show that inspired the contest.
About Design Squad on PBS
Design Squad is a reality competition show aimed at kids and people of
all ages who like reality or how-to television. Its goal is to get viewers
excited about engineering and the design process. Over the 13 episodes, eight
high school contestants tackle engineering challenges for real world
clients—from creating cardboard furniture projects for IKEA to designing a
gravity bike (no pedals or cranks!) for Extreme Game champion Tom Whalen. The
new season of Design Squad premieres on PBS in April 2008. In the final
episode, the top two scorers battle for the Grand Prize—a $10,000 college
scholarship from the Intel Foundation. The Design Squad web site goes
"behind the scenes" with cast interviews, photos, outtakes, and the inside scoop
on each Design Squad challenge. Online, visitors may watch full-length
streams of Design Squad episodes, share their thoughts, and learn more
about the role of engineers in society via
www.pbs.org/designsquad.
Design Squad is produced by WGBH Boston. Major funding for Design
Squad is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Intel
Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the National Council of Examiners
for Engineering and Surveying, United Engineering Foundation (ASCE, ASME, AIChE,
IEEE, AIME), Noyce Foundation, Northrop Grumman, the IEEE, and the Intel
Corporation.
About the Intel Foundation
Intel Foundation has been developing and funding educational and charitable
programs since 1989. Its mission is to advance science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics education to fuel tomorrow's innovators, with a particular focus
on inspiring women and under-represented minorities to be full participants in
these fields. The Foundation, funded solely by donations from Intel Corporation,
supports Intel employee volunteerism and philanthropy as part of Intel's efforts
to be a good corporate citizen both locally and globally.
About By Kids For Kids Co.
By Kids for Kids® (BKFK®) is a youth marketing and media company partnering with
the world's leading corporations to provide a platform to foster, share,
showcase, and commercialize youth innovation and entrepreneurship. Their mission
is to inspire, motivate and stimulate the innovative spirit within all young
people.
The closely held Stamford, CT-based Corporation has been dedicated to making
youth ideas a reality since 2003. Through its website (www.bkfk.com)
and its social community (Idea Locker™), online competitions, TV show (Think
Big™), Magazine (Possible™), press, and education outreach, the company engages
youth in the US and around the world. BKFK® youth-created products are available
nationally and serve as a testament to the power of youth innovation and social
entrepreneurship. Learn more: www.bkfk.com
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Contacts:
For BKFK: John Forrester (323) 702-3684 media@bkfk.com
For WGBH: Kathryn Hathaway (617) 300-5305 kathryn_hathaway@wgbh.org
Nicole Siswick (617) 300-5334 nicole_siswick@wgbh.org
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