Every Day is Earth Day at eCYBERMISSION!

Twenty years of eCYBERMISSION has resulted in hundreds, even thousands, of amazing projects tackling the massive challenge of environmental protection. In celebration of our 20th Anniversary, we’re looking back at twenty of the best eCYBERMISSION projects that sought to make a difference for our planet.

1. As a 6th grade National winning team, Cedar Busters studied the existing mechanisms for removal of invasive salt cedar plants as well as the potential to use it for mulch in their native Texas. 

Team Cedar Busters

2. The 2016 STEM-In-Action Grant team, Styro-filter, engineered a way to convert polystyrene waste into activated carbon that could be used for water filtration.

3. Team Magma Militia, who won a 9th grade Regional division in 2011, engineered a system to harness geothermal energy. Their prototype worked by pumping a liquid medium through underground piping, extracting heat from the hot, dry rock and transferring it to an exchanger above ground level.

4. The 2017 National winning team, Greenhouse Gals, studied the impacts of composting in their local community. They discovered that composting improved several local environmental problems by keeping waste out of local landfills and nourishing the soil. They even shared their findings in a newsletter called "Trash Talk."

5. As 7th grade STEM-In-Action Grant winners, the Lanikai Science Squad investigated the harmful side effects of synthetic pesticides in their native Hawaii. They then created their own organic pesticide using local ingredients that is both less expensive and safer to use.

Team Lanikai Science Squad

6. Winning the Northeast Regional competition in 2012, team Eco-Scienteers investigated viable alternatives for cooking where wood is replaced by biomass waste products such as peanut shells, pine needles, banana peels, sugarcane waste, and corn stalks.

7. Taking home the trophy for Arkansas, team Envo investigated the potential for plants like ryegrass and winter wheat to prevent soil runoff from accumulating in local lakes and streams.

8. Team Under Control, 2018’s 8th grade National winners, engineered a reusable, inexpensive device that aids in combatting the negative effects of harmful algal blooms on marine ecosystems.

9. Winning Nationals for the 6th grade division, team MADScientists worked to use natural alternatives to combat the negative impact of phosphorous runoff on local pond and stream ecosystems.

Team MADScientists

10. The 2017 8th grade winners, team Whiz Kids, worked to discover which plants and vegetation could grow in swamp sand with little top soil in the hopes of helping remediate the soil in their community. 

11. After learning about the harmful levels of local air pollution, 9th grade STEM-In-Action Grant recipients, Baby cAir from Shanghai American School (Pudong Campus) in China, engineered a product that would efficiently filter airborne pollutants in a baby’s environment.

12. The 2012 8th grade Northeast Regional Winners, Project Radiance, engineered a model of a geothermal heating system and ran tests that supported that geothermal heating is effective in both summer and winter seasons.

13. A 2016 STEM-In-Action Grant winning team, Powerplay, investigated a way to generate electricity using common playground equipment.

Team Powerplay

14. The 2020 6th grade National Winners, Carbon Keepers, ran a number of experiments to test the productivity and carbon sequestration ability of soil as a means to mediate climate change.

15. Winning the 7th grade Nationals division in 2018, team Ecstatic Statics worked to find ways to generate clean energy using nano-surface modifications and the triboelectric effect while also replacing heavy batteries that the Army carries in the field.

16. A 2021 STEM-In-Action Grant winning team, the CQuestrators created and distributed carbon sequestering pellets as a way to increase the carbon sequestration capacity of soil in their community.

17. The 2020 8th grade National winners, team Aquatech, studied municipal water wastage in their community and engineered a measurement solution to help people become more aware of, and hopefully decrease, their water use.

Team Aquatech

18. Winning 8th grade Nationals in 2019, team Antastic Acids created (and have since patented) an innovative solution to non-recyclable multilayered food packaging which involves separating the packaging’s individual layers so that each component can be recovered in its original form.

19. The 2012 Southwest Regional winners, 7th grade team Dust Bunnies, collected airborne topsoil over 775 square miles to support that soil erosion was occurring in their community and studied a variety of potential solutions to the problem, ultimately protecting over 2,000 acres of land.

20. Insert your project here! Today (and all days), think about ways that you can safeguard the future of our planet through science and engineering. Study how to increase the biodegradability of plastic, or engineer a solution to help decrease deforestation. We can’t wait to read your projects next year!

To learn more and get involved with eCYBERMISSION, visit our website, www.ecybermission.com, or email us at missioncontrol@ecybermission.com. 

Faith Benner
AEOP Senior Communications and Marketing Specialist
fbenner@nsta.org