Nyrstar Clarksville’s parent company, Trafigura, recently launched #GreenZone to encourage employees to find better and more energy-efficient ways to operate.

The proposals should be designed to work well in daily operations, allowing employees to lead by example and further reduce on-site energy usage.

Nyrstar, the Zinc Plant in Clarksville for over 43 years, is expanding its local campaign to include students. The new Nyrstar Challenge is designed to uncover energy efficiencies across the community and among different industries.

And the top five entries will be awarded cash scholarship prizes, with $7,500 available.

Dayna Paine, director of Career and Technical Educational for CMCSS, expressed her excitement about this project. “We are thrilled that Nyrstar has chosen to partner with CMCSS to bring such a timely and relevant project to our students. It is partnerships and projects such as these that will ensure our students graduate with the critical thinking skills they will need when they move from the classroom into the world of work.”

How the Nyrstar Challenge works

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is rolling out the Nyrstar Challenge to all the seniors in their various academies.

Each of the seven academy schools can select up to two individuals or teams to progress to final judging at Nyrstar before a panel of celebrity judges. A student can take on the challenge individually or as a small group.

Entrants will develop a presentation to raise awareness of the biggest energy issues facing local business and industry partners whose work relates to the theme of that school’s academy.

The students will have to document the problem and their proposed solution, work with local business partners, take steps to solve the problem, and propose additional steps that local businesses or community members can take to carry the solution forward.

Each proposal will include a four- to five-page paper and an oral multimedia presentation to the judges.

Judging at the various schools will take place the week of March 28. Each school will send their top two entries to Nyrstar’s onsite event.

Cash scholarship prizes will go to the top five entries, and the prize will be divided equally among team members.

  • 1st place: $2,000
  • 2nd place: $1,750
  • 3rd place: $1,500
  • 4th place: $1,250
  • 5th place: $1,000

Seniors should get with their CTE teachers as soon as possible to learn more about competing.