ChaCha, the real-time answers service, HP and DoSomething.org, a not-for-profit that helps young people get involved with causes, have all
come together to encourage youth involvement in the “Green Your School Challenge” through mobile texting. More than 3000 students have so far signed up to receive eco-friendly tips to their mobile phones.
ChaCha claimed that it delivered more than 700,000 mobile texts and 500,000 mobile video ads to users 13 to 19 while promoting the “Green Your School Challenge.” The initiative not only offers eco-friendly tips for those who sign up but also encourages them to respond with ideas and initiatives and be eligible to win free Palm Pre smartphones.
Officials with ChaCha asserted that its collaboration with DoSomething.org was a great way to encourage awareness and involvement amongst young people when it comes to the environmental issues happening in their local communities. Reaching and impacting youth can be incredibly challenging, but it is an area where ChaCha has always excelled, according to officials. They were pleased to participate in the “Green Your School Challenge” by leveraging these strengths to spread the initiative's eco-friendly messages to teens on their mobile phones, officials added.
A panel of experts and celebrities selected the winners of the “Green Your School Challenge,” with the grand prize being a $5,000 environmental grant, five new HP Pavilion DMI notebook computers. This year’s Grand Prize Winner was the Millburn Sr. High School in Millburn, N.J. Other winners included Durand Middle School, Durand, Mich.; City Academy, Salt Lake City, Utah; Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, N.C.; and University of Central Florida. Orlando, Fla. The winners also got a chance to Skype (News 
- Alert) with celebrity spokesperson, actress and “The Daily Show” correspondent Olivia Munn.
HP acknowledged that the creative use of technology in “Green Your School” projects was inspiring and they offered something that everyone can learn from. Each student and project had a positive impact on their schools, their communities and the environment.
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Nathesh is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Nathesh's articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Carrie Schmelkin
