TEMECULA – American Residential Services (ARS), a residential heating and air conditioning service company in Corona, has partnered with the Temecula Valley Foundation for Excellence in Education (TVFEE) to give back to the Temecula Valley Unified School District while raising awareness for best practices in energy conservation.

TVFEE is committed to marshaling the energy and goodwill of the Temecula Valley community to provide exceptional learning opportunities for its students. ARS’s partnership with the foundation furthers this mission by providing a new initiative for local students to "think green."

ARS and the TVFEE have created an opportunity for children to expand their critical-thinking skills by submitting ideas focused on energy conservation. ARS and the TVFEE encourage 4th through 12th grade students in the Temecula Valley Unified School District to enter their best ideas on how to reduce the load on the energy grid and share the type of impact their idea could have on the community.

The contest is open to all "green" ideas, including essays, models and projects, and will be divided into the following categories based on grade level; elementary school (4th-5th grade), middle school (6th-8th grade) and high school (9th-12th grade).

The high school student with the winning idea will be rewarded with a $500 cash prize; the middle school and elementary school finalists will be rewarded with a $300 and $200 cash prize, respectively. In addition, ARS will match the total prize earnings with a $1,000 donation to the Temecula Valley Foundation for Excellence in Education.

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[ Murrieta Volkswagen ] our team at ARS and giving back to our local schools and students is of the highest priority," said Colin Martodam, Regional Manager of American Residential Services’ Southwest Division. "This green initiative aligns with ARS’s focus on energy-efficient practices and technologies, and will help bring awareness to the younger generation. Our hope is that we can encourage our youth to think about the impact they can make on our environment and share those ideas with the community as a whole so we can start making changes right here in Temecula Valley."

Submissions for the "Think Green" contest will be accepted through April 16. To enter, students must submit an energy-saving idea in the form of a written essay, drawing or model. All entries must include a thorough explanation of the idea, the potential impact of the idea on the economy and/or community, and how the idea can be implemented throughout their community. 

Winners will be announced at the April 20 Temecula Science & Technology Fair and recognized on stage at the April 27 Taste of Temecula Valley. Projects are to be submitted to ARSthinkgreen@boltpr.com no later than April 16.

"Thanks to ARS, we’re motivating students to think about energy conservation and funding additional grants for Temecula Valley Unified School District teachers in Grades K-12. It’s a win-win for both organizations," said Morris Myers, TVFEE president.

For more information about the "Think Green" contest or TVFEE, visit www.tvfee.org, email ARSthinkgreen@boltpr.com or call (949) 436-3632.