BERLIN, Connecticut - April 23, 2009 - The Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P) has donated $1,000 to help send two teams of Bristol Public School students to next month's International Odyssey of the Mind Competition in Ames, Iowa.
"The Bristol students have done an amazing thing, qualifying not one, but two teams for the international competition," said Raymond P. Necci, president and chief operating officer, CL&P. "We're pleased to be able to help these engineers of the future, and while they may be in elementary and middle school right now, I hope they will consider studying engineering as these are the type of engineers we are looking to attract to work for CL&P someday."
The two Bristol teams are the Greene-Hills Elementary School all-girls team, which won the engineering competition in its division by creating a balsa wood tower that supported 472 pounds of weight. The challenge was that the tower had to weigh less than 18 grams and be at least eight inches tall. The Memorial Boulevard Middle School team also won an engineering competition in its division. These two teams are now eligible to compete in the world competition at Iowa State University from May 27 through May 30. They will be competing against other state championship teams, as well as winning teams from around the world, including Canada, China, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.
Due to school budget restrictions, the Bristol teams need outside financial support in order to attend the games in Iowa. It is estimated that the cost to send the student teams and their adult coach will be approximately $20,000. "We hope many other local businesses will also step up to help these teams," added Necci. Donations can be sent to:
Greene-Hills School
718 Pine Street
Bristol, CT 06010
Attn: Odyssey of the Mind
For more information regarding donations, please contact Odyssey of the Mind District Coordinator Terry Grant at (860) 584-7884.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world levels. Thousands of teams throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.
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The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) has been part of everyday life in Connecticut for more than 100 years, providing safe and reliable electric service to homes, neighborhoods and businesses. With 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns, CL&P is an active member in the communities it serves, offering programs in energy conservation, economic development and environmental stewardship. CL&P is part of the Northeast Utilities System (NYSE: NU). For more information, please visit www.cl-p.com.