MILWAUKEE, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls, Inc. today announced its search for Tomorrow's Energy Ambassadors, Managers and Scholars (TEAMS). It kicks off a competition that calls for select college seniors and graduate students to collaboratively draft an open letter to the field of 2008 presidential candidates -- urging them to better clarify their positions on important matters related to energy and sustainability. The winning team will be presented with a $10,000 scholarship fund check for its school and have its letter published in a full-page ad in a national publication. TEAMS students placing first, second, and third will also be eligible for cash awards totaling $5,000.
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"This is a great opportunity for the future chief executive of the United States to hear from future business and academic leaders who will be directly impacted by policy decisions made on energy and sustainability in this country and around the world," said C. David Myers, president of the Johnson Controls Building Efficiency business. "We welcome the ingenuity and insight that these students will bring to bear on this discussion."
The competition for TEAMS is open to students designated by four-year and graduate institutions that are members of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) (http://www.aashe.org/). Hundreds of well-respected institutions are members, including: American University, Boston University, Columbia University, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. While each school may submit only one entry, interdisciplinary collaboration with up to four student members is encouraged in order to craft a more insightful letter.
Letters submitted for the TEAMS search will be judged by an independent panel of energy professionals and energy industry trade journalists. All entries will have a strict word limit ranging between 800 - 900 words and will be evaluated on the following 50-point scoring system:
-- Ability to clearly and concisely address presidential candidates within the prescribed word limits. 10 Points -- Awareness of energy issues and environmental stewardship. 15 Points -- A logical presentation of arguments and facts. 10 Points -- Creativity and originality of the letter's call to action. 15 points
Johnson Controls will present the first place winning team's college or university with a $10,000 check for its scholarship fund. In addition to having its letter published, the first place winning team will receive a $2,500 grant from Johnson Controls. They will also be invited, as guests of Johnson Controls, to attend the 2008 Energy Efficiency Forum(1) (http://www.eeforum.net/) in Washington DC. Second and third place teams will be awarded grants in the amounts or $1,500 and $1,000, respectively.
The TEAMS competition officially opens for entries on September 20, 2007, and has an e-mail entry deadline of October 26, 2007 for receiving all submissions. No entries will be considered after that date. The winners will be announced approximately one year from election day on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. For detailed rules and entry forms please visit:
http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publish/us/en/tomorrow_s_energy.html.
Johnson Controls is the global leader that brings ingenuity to the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies, products and services, we create smart environments that redefine the relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of 140,000 employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world through our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million homes and one million commercial buildings. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/.
(1) The Energy Efficiency Forum is the country's premier nonpartisan forum on the subject and features keynote presentations from the most prominent political and industry figures. The 2008 event takes place June 11-12, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
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