Winner Of mtvU GE Ecomagination Challenge To Receive Earth Day Concert And $25,000 Grant To Implement Idea
mtvU, MTV′s 24-hour college network, and GE, today announced a partnership to inspire college students to make a meaningful environmental impact on their campuses and beyond. As part of the mtvU GE ecomagination Challenge, the team proposing the most impactful and innovative project to "green" their campus will receive a $25,000 grant towards the execution of their idea. The winner′s school will also receive an mtvU Earth Day Concert and Festival in Spring 2007, complete with performances from top emerging artists on the college music scene.
Beginning today, college students are invited to visit the co-branded ecomagination Challenge Web site at www.ecocollegechallenge.com to register for the competition, learn more about ways to "green" a college campus and begin developing their proposals. mtvU and GE are especially looking for ambitious and innovative projects that considerably better the overall environmental health of campus, are cost conscious and practical, and push the creative boundaries of "green" thinking.
"Tomorrow′s answers come from questions asked on America′s college campuses today," said Lorraine Bolsinger, GE Vice President for ecomagination. "It′s this kind of fresh thinking, by tomorrow′s leaders, that will help us tackle our toughest environmental challenges - developing solutions that are broad, meaningful and long-lasting. mtvU has a unique understanding of the power of this audience and we are pleased to partner with the network on this innovative program."
"GE has taken a leadership role in pioneering innovative environmental solutions, and we′re proud to help them partner with the audience that will pioneer the eco-breakthroughs of tomorrow," said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU. "This competition will enable college students to sew local seeds of change that influence environmental betterment around the world."
mtvU and GE will accept submissions until December 1st, 2006 and then collaboratively pick the top 10 entries. The finalists′ multimedia proposals will be profiled in January on the mtvU GE ecomagination Challenge website and select projects will also be featured on mtvU, broadband channel mtvU Uber at mtvU.com and mtvU Mobile. Student voting will play a major role in determining which project wins - and which school gets a blowout concert and interactive festival, to be held in the spring. mtvU and GE will select the winning project based on its environmental impact, economic viability and overall creativity, and announce the winner in March 2007.
Ecomagination is GE′s commitment to imagine and build innovative technologies that help customers address their environmental and financial needs. It is both a business strategy to drive growth at GE and a promise to contribute positively to the environment in the process.
The ecomagination Challenge is a joint initiative of mtvU and GE, and mtvU′s own extension of Break the Addiction, THINK MTV′s campaign to mobilize a new generation of environmental activists, by engaging young people to take daily steps that have a measurable impact in the fight against global warming. Launched on Earth Day 2006, Break the Addiction is a year long campaign and 12-step program to engage young people to make smart, every day choices that both improve their life and help to curb the impact of global warming and preserve our environment.
