Roosevelt students take fifth place in state environmental competition

The Roosevelt High School Environmental Club earned fifth place in this year’s state Envirothon Competition. Rain Carman, Lillian DeMattia, Delaney Sefchick, Tara Sefchick and Allison Voneida were the first team in school history to advance to the statewide contest, though Roosevelt has competed in the Northeast Ohio regional competition since 2009.

Envirothon is an international high school competition that focuses on conservation and environmental education. It is usually a hands-on program that encourages outdoor field experience along with classroom education, which culminates in a series of tests in five areas of environmental science.

The competition took place entirely online this year, with students coordinating virtual meetings and studying remotely. The team took the five-part test online and delivered a presentation on this year’s theme, water resources management.

“It’s pretty impressive for a group of five teenagers to coordinate team meetings on their own and work collaboratively on a presentation entirely remotely during summer break,” Environmental Science teacher Chris Carman said. “Especially after the school year they just went through — I wasn’t allowed to help in any way.”