Fourteen High Schools and Middle Schools from California to New York were given scholarship grants by Lexus and scholastic. The grants were given in recognition to the entries submitted by the students to the Lexus Environmental Challenge, a program created by the automaker and Scholastic that encourages and educates the youth to make a difference for environmental improvements. The winning school teams were given the recognition last week for their exceptional environmental action plans for Lexus’ and Scholastic’s “Protecting the Land” Challenge, the first of the series of four challenges.

$3,000 worth of scholarship grants were given to the fourteen teams and an invitation to take part in the Final Challenge to get a chance to win one of the two $75,000 as grand prizes.

"In the first month of the Challenge, we had more than 10,000 unique visitors to the Web site, which tells us teachers and students are anxious to learn about the environment and find out how they can help improve it," said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. "Lexus congratulates this first round of winners, and we look forward to seeing more action across the country as other teachers and students discover how they, too, can make a positive impact."

High School Winners -

- "Team Kramedawg"- Farmingdale High School, Farmingdale, NY: Worked with administration and student government to increase awareness of the importance of recycling and started a recycling program on the campus. They created a Web site to help promote their idea.

- "The Elementals"- Herricks High School, New Hyde Park, NY: Researched the recycling habits of the campus community and used that information to help increase participation in recycling.

- "Manatee Team"- Manatee High School, Bradenton, Fla.: Improved school's recycling program increasing teacher participation by 300 percent and raising awareness around campus about the importance of recycling.

- "Bayou Bartholomew EAST"- McGehee High School, McGehee, Ark.: Helped to clean up pollution in the longest bayou in the United States, Bayou Bartholomew. The team created a Web site to track the efforts of the clean up.

- "Newberry Environmental Girls"- Newberry High School, Newberry, Fla.: Started a bottle recycling program on campus with the potential to recycle more than 170 plastic bottles per day.

- "Viva Verde"- North Mecklenburg High School, Huntersville, NC: Organized "Viva Verde Fashion Show," which showcases clothes made from organic cotton or secondhand clothing. Also hosted "Swap ‘til you Drop" clothing exchange program.

- "The Ones Who Care"- Sierra Vista High School, Baldwin Park, Calif.: Conducted an outreach program to educate the campus community about the danger of pesticides to human health, soil, vegetation and animals.

- "Westminster CCC"- The Westminster Schools, Atlanta, Ga.: Increased recycling on the campus by creating the "Adopt a Recycle Bin" program, holding educational assemblies and recruiting volunteers to help in the recycling effort.

Middle School Winners -

- "Eggsteins"- Great Neck South Middle School, Great Neck, NY: Explored the effects of deforestation by identifying trees, creating leaf impressions, and by taking younger students on nature walks.

- "Chi-Town Team"- Madero Middle School, Chicago, Ill.: Conducted an aluminum can drive and cleaned up a community park, both helping to raise awareness in the community about recycling.

- "The Eco-Gangsters"- Nevada Middle School, Nevada, Mo.: Increased participation in campus paper recycling program with a goal of recycling 2,500 lbs. by the end of the year, four times more than in previous years.

- "OJH World Environmental Managers"- Olympus Junior High School, Holladay, Utah: Cleaned up a local park and helped educate the community about recycling and proper disposal of trash.

- "The Spachio Six"- Phillipsburg Christian Academy, Phillipsburg, NJ: Raised awareness of the importance of recycling by tracking and recording a week's worth of trash at their school. Discovered that 30 percent of waste is recyclable.

- "St. Margaret Science Club"- St. Margaret Catholic School, Lake Charles, La.: In the absence of a curb-side recycling program in the community, students increased participation in recycling through the school's parent-teacher organization, school newsletter and school Web site.