Calling all middle school teachers! Enter student project ideas in the Eco Challenge contest

WASHINGTON — At WUSA9, we believe our environment matters and we've taken steps to identify our own environmental goals as a company, including lowering our carbon footprint.

But it's also up to us to make sure that we pass this same knowledge to future generations. That is why we have created the "#EnvironmentMatters Eco Challenge." 

WUSA9 is looking to identify four middle school classes to apply to participate in a two-month challenge showcasing how they are doing their part to create a green future.

Middle school teachers have until Sept. 30 to submit their classrooms’ elevator pitch for consideration.

Every entrant will then receive free professional development and education materials from the Smithsonian Science Education Center and the Smithsonian will provide live and virtual professional development for any teacher who applies.

Teachers can use those free resources to tweak their entries and explain how their project will benefit the environment, how the students will be involved and how they are learning what they used from the Smithsonian Science Education Center's resources until Sept. 30.

Notification to the winning schools will occur by Oct. 6. The four winning classrooms will be given $5,000 from the contest sponsor, Washington Gas, to aid in completing their project.

All questions below are required for entry.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING.  SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS, AND REGULATIONS.  VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

1. Eligibility. Subject to the additional restrictions below, the “WUSA 9 Eco Challenge” (the “Contest”) is open to legal U.S. residents of The District of Columbia, or the states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia or Pennsylvania, residing within the Washington, DC DMA (as defined by Comscore), who are teachers in an accredited middle school at the time of entry.  Employees and contractors of WUSA9 (“Sponsor”), TEGNA Inc., Smithsonian Science Education Center, Washington Gas, and each of their respective affiliated companies, and advertising and promotional agencies, and the immediate family members of, and any persons domiciled with, any such employees or contractors, are not eligible to enter or to win.  

2. How To Enter.  The Contest will begin at 12:01 a.m. (E.T.) on Sunday, August 10, 2024, and end at 11:59 p.m. (E.T.) Monday, June 30, 2025 (the “Contest Period”).  

By entering, you agree to the terms of these Official Rules.

Middle School Teachers will Go To:  www.wusa9.com/EcoChallenge Enter their name(s), school, school address, the number of Middle School Students at their school, their Principal’s name, email, and phone number and what Environmental Project their Middle School will be working on as they  engage in the Professional Development with Smithsonian Science Education Center, Teachers, and Students together, your project may be tweaked as you understand the problem better and decide on actions and solutions.

All Middle Schools who apply will receive free professional development (PD) and free instructional materials on topics related to the environment from our Collaborator, the Smithsonian Science Education Center. 

A Panel of qualified reviewers consisting of (3) three Representatives from WUSA 9 and (2) Representatives from Washington Gas will select three Middle School entries based on the originality, overall environmental impact of their project, and demonstrated need. Review will conclude on or before Friday, October 3, 2025. 

Maximum one (1) entry per Middle School. 

Sponsor(s) will not be responsible for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor.

WUSA9 Eco Challenge (Phase IV.) Contest Timeline:

All Middle Schools-(Administration, Teachers, Students with Parents’ permission) that enter agree to be videotaped, photographed or posted by WUSA9, Washington Gas, and The Smithsonian Science and Education Center for promotional purposes.    

3. Final Selection. Eight (8) Middle Schools Total will be selected based on the originality and overall environmental impact of their project: (2) one from The District of Columbia, (2) one from Maryland, (2) one from Virginia, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania and (2) additional from whichever area has an impactful project will be selected, from among all eligible entries. 

4. Prizes and Odds. All Middle School entries will receive free professional development (PD) and free instructional materials on topics related to the environment from our Collaborator, the Smithsonian Science Education Center. Eight (4) Middle Schools will receive $5,000 each to support the implementation of their projects, based on the originality, overall environmental impact of their project, and demonstrated need. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

5. Final Notification and Selection. The eight selected middle schools will be notified on or about Monday, October 6, 2024, at the telephone number used for entry, email address or mailing address provided on Winner’s entry form. Sponsor will call during regular business hours at number provided on entry form and will leave no messages.  Failure to reach selected middle school by phone after four (4) attempts or return of email as undeliverable may result in disqualification of selection, forfeiture of his or her interest in all prizes, and selection of a substitute middle school from among all remaining eligible entries. Selected middle schools may waive their right to receive prizes.  Prizes are nonassignable and nontransferable.  No substitutions allowed by the selected middle schools.  Prizes are not redeemable for cash.  Prizes and individual components of prize packages are subject to availability and Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.  Selected middle schools are solely responsible for reporting and payment of any taxes on prizes.  To claim the prize the selected middle school must present a valid photo identification. Selected middle schools will be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility/liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law) which must be returned as instructed by Sponsor.  Failure to complete, sign and return the affidavit of release, or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules, may result in a school’s disqualification, the forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to a substitute school.  Delivery of the prize will be arranged following Sponsor’s receipt of the fully executed affidavit of release.  Except where prohibited, acceptance of any prize constitutes the selected middle school’s consent to the publication of its name, biographical information, and likeness in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation the Internet, or further compensation.  Prizes not won and claimed by eligible schools in accordance with these Official Rules will not be awarded and will remain the property of Sponsor.  

6. Participation. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor.  Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsor.  Contest Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest at any time, for any reason. Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsor reserves the right to award prizes based on the entries received before the termination date. In the event of a dispute, all text message entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the wireless phone from which the entry is sent and all online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the ISP account from which the entry is sent.  For these purposes, an ISP account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such ISP account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning ISP addresses for the domain associated with such ISP account. Any questions regarding the number of entries submitted or the owner of an ISP account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Contest.

7. Construction. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.  In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.

8. Sponsor. The WUSA9 Eco Challenge is sponsored by Washington Gas and WUSA9.  The decisions of Sponsors regarding the selection of schools and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects.  Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the Contest.  For the name of selected schools (available after Monday, June 30, 2025) or a copy of these Official Rules, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to “Winner /Official Rules” (as applicable), “WUSA 9 #EnvironmentMatters Eco Challenge”, 4100 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016. If you have any questions regarding this Contest, please contact Darlene Dyer at (202)-895-5933 or ddyer@wusa9.com.