Disney competition goes nationwide.

Disney competition goes nationwide. DISNEY'S PLANET CHALLENGE, A PROJECT-BASED ENVIRONMENTALcompetition for students in grades 4-6, is expanding nationwide. Disneystarted the program in 1994 in partnership with the CaliforniaDepartment of Education, and it has been so successful in that state andin Florida that the company has decided to open it to schools from all50 states. Students in the program come up with a project--anything fromrecycling electronics to protecting a local habitat--and manage it fromstart to finish. Disney's environmental team has developed theprogram in collaboration with curricular experts at the K-12 Allianceand the National Science Teachers Association. Registration opens in September, and projects are due in February.Awards will be announced in spring 2010. To learn more about theprogram, visit www. DistrictAdministration.com/disney.