Eric Moore

Moore’s winning program, “Forging Ahead with Recycling: Taking Charge of Discards,” is an innovative program that will integrate community recycling with instruction in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The project is based on the concept that many people have the potential for innovation but often lack the tools needed to turn their ideas into reality. By using a foundry to reuse discarded metal, students will use engineering design concepts to create an original project. They will use wax or clay to sculpt a 3-D model and make a mold. They will then cast the mold by melting a solid, heating it to proper temperature and pouring it into a cavity or mold. The goal of the program is for students to forge, join, and weld material that otherwise would have become a part of the municipal waste stream and use the material to create unique objects of beauty and utility. The hands-on project includes engineering, math, and the scientific method as well as best practices for environmental education. Moore, who lives in Emmett, hopes the project will reduce waste, increase recycling and encourage students to advocate for solving problems facing the world.