| Entries closed Oct. 25. Winners will be notified Nov. 2. | |
Do you want to reduce urban runoff and pollution that flow into lakes and rivers? Do you have a good idea for how you and your friends and neighbors could work together to clean up soil, grass clippings and leaves from streets and storm drains? And could you use $500?
Then we have a contest for you.
The Freshwater Society and InCommons are sponsoring a Work For Water “micro challenge” that will award two $500 prizes for the best short-term community projects to protect our waters from the pollution found in the leaves, grass and soil that wash into streets. Enter here.
In addition to the two statewide prizes, a grant from the Little Falls-based Initiative Foundation, will provide two additional $500 prizes for the best ideas coming from entrants in the 14 counties the foundation serves in Central Minnesota.
The contest began Sept. 20, and entries will be accepted until Oct. 25. The project must be completed by Nov. 19.
Who can enter? Individuals, church groups, Scout troops, service clubs, neighborhood groups, lake associations, school organizations and classrooms. What kind of project can you suggest? Almost anything you can accomplish by Nov. 12. Be imaginative, and have fun. The main requirement is that the person submitting the entry must be 18 years old.
Ideas that qualify
- We are looking for entries that bring neighbors together to clean soil, grass clippings and leaves out of the streets this fall. Neighbors could mean people at your school, in your neighborhood, church, service club or other group, but the challenge is to get a group involved and working together.
- We are looking for solution-oriented ideas that can be implemented with a $500 grant by Nov. 12, 2011.
- We can only accept entries submitted in English. If you need help finding someone to translate your idea, please contact us.
Ideas that do not qualify
- Ideas that do not specifically bring neighbors or another group together to clean up soil, grass clippings and leaves out of the streets this fall 2011.
- Ideas that cannot be implemented for $500 or less.
- Ideas that cannot be implemented by Nov. 12, 2011.
Prizes will be awarded to the winners on Nov. 12, 2011 upon successful implementation of the winning ideas.