Caltrans’ Press Release:

 Eureka – Caltrans is proud to announce that Ms. Steiner’s seventh grade science class from Monument Middle School in Rio Dell has placed third in a national sustainable transportation competition. This year’s entry, “A Green Plan for Rio Dell: Solar Powered Electric Charge Station” proposed for the city to transition to electric vehicle use in order to save gas and lower emissions. Using a model charging station as a visual aid, the entry was presented before a national audience during the contest’s video conference by students Zowee Dunkin, Enrique Bazan, and Becca Parker.

The Garrett Morgan Symposium competition was held on March 27 and was attended by Malcolm Dougherty, acting Director of Caltrans, Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of the Department of Transportation, and former U.S. Transportation Secretary, Norman Mineta.

“We are very proud that our local Monument Middle School is receiving national recognition,” said Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder. “I’d like to thank Caltrans Engineer Sheri Rodriguez and Program Coordinator Emma Cleveland for helping the students prepare for this competition.”

Caltrans sponsors middle school classes in the preparation and presentation of their sustainable transportation projects for this annual national competition. The Garrett Morgan Symposium is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program and is administered by the Mineta Transportation Institute. The program is named in honor of Garrett Morgan, the African-American inventor of the original three-way stop signal, one of many inventions he created in the early 20th century.

This educational program is designed to increase middle school students’ awareness of transportation issues, foster interest in transportation careers, and motivate enrollment in high school math and science courses in preparation for college management and engineering degrees. Last year, Monument Middle School took top honors in this national competition.

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