eam members of the Carbon Busters who won $1,000 in the Lexus Eco-Challenge are (l-r): Front Row: Alaina Anderson, Breann Comstock and Brooke Bachelder. Back Row: Nathan McWhinnie, Advisor Susan Tate, Elle Bachelder, Victoria Learman and Morgan Mitteer. N

The Carbon Busters have already won $10,000 on their project aimed at reducing energy consumption at its school and is now vying for a $30,000 Grand Prize by expanding the project into the community and beyond.

The Lexus Eco Challenge, created by the automaker Lexus, and Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, was designed to educate young people about the environment and to inspire them to create a better world.

The students at Whitehall Middle School have accepted the challenge by taking a stand and proving that a small group can bring about big changes.

The Carbon Busters took on the Air/Climate Challenge and is one of eight middle school teams nationwide to compete in the final challenge. Another eight middle school teams, including one from Byron Center Middle School, will compete in the Land/Water Challenge Final. There is also competition at the high school level.

Lexus and Scholastic will choose 10 winning teams nationwide. Two of those teams will earn the Grand Prize of $30,000, while eight teams will be named First Place winners receiving $15,000 all in the form of grants for the school and teacher, and scholarships for the students.

By qualifying for the Final Challenge, each of the seven students will receive $1,000 to spend as they desire. The advisor, Susan Tate, middle school science teacher who was named Middle School Science Teacher of the Year in Michigan, will get $1,000 to spend on school-related supplies or for educational programs, school clubs or initiatives. The school gets $2,000.