For the third year in a row, Milton teams took the top spots in the Cadena Initiative Regional Competition. The contest challenges middle schoolers to research the needs of people affected by disasters or humanitarian crises and prototype cost-effective and replicable solutions. The team that wins the DC Regional Competition will go to the International Competition to share their ideas with students from around the world.
Kol hakavod to first place winners Tsion Getachew and Eva Schwartz for their project addressing malnutrition in refugee camps. The team devised a solution to provide families with a portable raised vegetable bed with a self-watering irrigation system, seeds, and pamphlets with easy-to-follow instructions in seven languages – enabling adults and children to grow healthy food. The humanitarian project would be funded by having people with financial resources buy their own kits and sponsor ones to send to the refugees.
Congratulations as well to second place winners Avital Baer and Eden Sharon for their project addressing acid attacks and violence against women. This team created DPS (Defend, Protect, Save) kits, which is composed of pepper spray, ultra-filtered water, and anti-bacterial spray to help women defend themselves and have inconspicuous emergency aid items on hand.
Yasher koach to all the students at Milton and CESJDS who participated in this tikkun olam challenge! Your ingenuity, compassion, and commitment to support vulnerable communities and build a better world are inspiring. Special thanks to Elana Cohen Schwartz for her leadership and guidance! Thank you to Milton Board Member Billy Begal and Rabbi Adam Raskin from Congregation Har Shalom for joining Annie Vainrub from Cadena Foundation to judge the competition.
