Imagine Tomorrow competition open for registration
The Imagine Tomorrow competition challenges high school students to seek new ways to support
the transition to alternate energy sources. Students research complex topics, and then implement
technologies, designs or plans to mobilize behavior. They forge connections in their communities
and create positive change. In this competition, as in life, solutions are limited only by
imagination.
Last year, Tacoma School of the Arts’ team earned the grand prize: $5,000 for the school and
each team member. This year’s judging will be held May 21–23 at Washington State University in
Pullman.
Registration will close March 1 or as soon as 200 teams have registered—whichever comes first.
For details, go to the Washington State University Web site at www.imagine.wsu.edu
Imagine Tomorrow unites educators, scholars, and industry leaders to teach students of all
backgrounds and high school grade levels how to translate ideas into results.
At the outset, the competition asks teams of Washington high school students to address a
topic—this year, energy sustainability—by answering any of four challenges: technological,
behavioral, design, or multidisciplinary. With these challenges, the competition aims to invite
collaboration among leaders of today and tomorrow, enable students to realize how much they
can achieve, and drive innovation that changes lives.
Engaging future innovators. Students find ways to shift the public mindset, reshape
governance and policy, reengineer technologies, and redesign communities and ways of
life. The competition inspires many students to pursue a college degree.
Fostering collaboration. The competition shows students how collaborative actions make
a difference in meeting the challenge of energy production and use in the 21st century.
Supporting educators. High school teachers inspire students to think bigger, gather
information from diverse resources, and jointly develop new ideas.
Strengthening our community. Imagine Tomorrow creates connections among students,
research faculty, and industry leaders. Students build confidence in their ability to make a
positive difference in their communities.
Raising awareness of key issues. Imagine Tomorrow builds awareness of important
issues among our state's students, educators, and general population.
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During the school year, ninth through 12 graders form teams of two to five students. These
teams research and develop ideas to address energy-related issues, with guidance from an adult
advisor. On competition day, contestants assemble at the Washington State University (WSU)
Pullman campus to present their projects. Business and opinion leaders from throughout the
state, as well as WSU faculty, judge the competition entries.
The team from Tacoma School of the Arts (SOTA) won the grand prize of Imagine Tomorrow in
2009, with the goal was to create and teach a year-long curriculum on environmental awareness
and sustainability to eighth-grade students. The team built strong mentoring relationships, and
most of the eighth graders loved their lessons. One outcome of the SOTA project was that 25 of
the eighth graders applied to attend a new science and math institute in the Tacoma Public
Schools.
This SOTA project is a research-based mentorship and teaching program, where high school
students mentor and teach middle school students. The objective was to inform middle school
students about past, current and present energy and climate issues, then energize and equip
these students to make better choices in the future.
The ABCs of Waste Reduction is an easy-to-use compost and recycling system incorporating
education and design. The ABCs will not only influence but educate children about recycling and
composting. In an elementary school, this system would consist of painted or color-coded
composting and recycling bins around the school and songs or rhymes taught in class to imbue
proper recycling and composting methods.
Tacoma School of the Arts is not like other large traditional high schools. There are many aspects
of the school that make it unique and sustainable. This project outlines how SOTA is a good
model for efficiency and sustainability. For example, SOTA uses the existing city bus system
instead of school buses and retrofitted pre-existing buildings in the downtown area of Tacoma for
classroom space.
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