NASHUA – The Academy for Science and Design announced that Bridget Phillips’ sixth-grade advisory group received honorable mention for the poster contest as well as the challenge portion of the America’s Home Energy Education Challenge as chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Teachers Association.

The national competition is designed to encourage students and their families to take action to start saving money by saving energy.

The competition asked students in grades 3-8 to come up with plans, with the help of their science teachers and a local utility company, to reduce the energy used in their schools and homes.

“I loved this contest because it gave me an opportunity to not only teach my students about energy conservation, but how to actually practice it in their own homes,” Phillips said. “My students had an opportunity to teach their families how to save energy, too.

“This contest is teaching students that energy conservation around the globe is important. Energy conservation starts in your very own home, one household at a time. Each household can make a difference. I look forward to involving more classrooms at ASD next year.”

The students submitted energy data for November 2012 through January 2013, then again from November 2013 through January 2014 to see how much energy was saved. Students had to practice the conservation methods they learned about. Students also had to submit narratives explaining whether they saved energy.

For more information about the school, visit www.asdnh.org.