Students awarded for creative approaches to clean energy awareness
Sunnyvale, CA — Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) awarded $20,000 in scholarships to local students for their impactful and creative submissions to the annual EmPower Silicon Valley Scholarship Competition. This year, eight middle and high school students were recognized for their songs and art pieces promoting the benefits of clean energy.
Now in its fifth year, the scholarship competition engages Silicon Valley youth to share their creativity and passion to energize positive change. Local middle and high school students were invited to participate by creating clean energy-themed songs, album covers, or performances. Finalists performed at the Campbell Boogie Fest on May 17 and were evaluated by a panel of SVCE judges, including Campbell Councilmember and SVCE Board Member Elliot Scozzola.
“Watching the student finalists showcase both their creative talents and understanding of climate and clean energy topics was very inspiring,” said Director Scozzola. “Programs like the EmPowerSV Scholarship Competition are vital to engaging the youth with opportunities to contribute to a clean energy future.”
Four grand prizes of $3,000 each were awarded to submissions that demonstrated an outstanding connection to the prompt and creative messaging:
- Best Performance Award: Gatherers of Light by Joshua Ryu, Saratoga
- Songwriting Award: The Polar Bear’s World by Jennifer Choi, Monte Sereno
- Album Cover Award: Clean Energy, Clean Earth by Audrey Lin, Cupertino
- Zero Waste Award: Can’t Stop the Solar by Clarabelle Wang, Cupertino
Four Honorable Mentions of $2,000 each were given to submissions that were recognized for their strong talent and commitment to the prompt:
- Honorable Mention: Journey Around the World by Darien James, Los Gatos
- Honorable Mention: All About that Smart Thermostat by Elspeth Luu, Cupertino
- Honorable Mention: Can’t Stop the Solar by Maple Fan, Cupertino
- Honorable Mention: Petals of Change by John Kim, Saratoga
To date, the EmPower Silicon Valley Scholarship Competition has awarded over $97,000 to students for their contributions to raising awareness and inspiring action in their communities. This program is part of the larger SVCE mission to continually invest in the communities it serves.
View this years’ winning submissions at svcleanenergy.org/empower-sv.
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About Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit, community-owned agency providing electricity from renewable and clean sources to more than 275,000 residential and commercial customers in 13 Santa Clara County jurisdictions. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Silicon Valley Clean Energy is advancing innovative solutions to fight climate change by decarbonizing the grid, transportation, and buildings. Learn more at SVCleanEnergy.org.
Media Contact
Raul Hernandez, Marketing Lead
408- 478-4227 | raul.hernandez@svcleanenergy.org
