North Springs “Ecospartans” Claim Victory In Statewide Competition

The North Springs High School EcoSpartans are on the frontlines of a battle to make the world a greener place. The EcoSpartans are a team of Career Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Engineering students led by North Springs teacher, Dr. Sharmila Durai.

The EcoSpartans recently claimed victory in the Georgia Power Careers in Energy Week Student Challenge. This is the second year in a row North Springs took home the winning title.

Dr. Durai says the winning strategy starts with attention to detail in class.

"Even if it's going to be a small activity, I ensure the complete engineering design process, starting from defining the problem and finally testing the prototype and getting the feedback," Durai said.

And if that does not work Dr. Durai says students, "go back to the process of brainstorming."

The EcoSpartans and all of Dr. Durai's students benefit from her experience outside of the classroom. She became a high school teacher following a career teaching college and working as an electrical engineer.

Scott Hanson, principal of North Springs High School, says Dr. Durai is a "teacher who wanted to think outside of the box."

Her strategy yields success.

This year, the Georgia Power Careers in Energy Week Student Challenge asked students to create blueprints for an energy-efficient community center. To add a real-world aspect, the design had to be for the students' local community.

Principal Hanson says the competition was a perfect fit for CTAE students at North Springs, which has one of the largest work-based CTAE programs in Fulton County. CTAE gives students the chance to try out a variety of career paths. Hanson calls it a "test drive before they make a decision in college."

"Rather than it being just in a classroom this gives kids the ability to do some hands-on stuff in some really interesting and unique areas," said Hanson.

The "test drive" with Dr. Durai is a meticulous process. Thorough research is a part of every design, but the road is a smooth one thanks to her students, who she describes as, "very brilliant."

This year, the EcoSpartans developed a proposal for the Community Assistance Center (CAC) in Sandy Springs. The non-profit aims to provide basic needs with the goal of preventing homelessness and promoting self-sufficiency.

In their video submitted to Georgia Power, the EcoSpartans said "extensive research" was at the core of their design. Through interviews with CAC members and on-site observations, students narrowed down their to-do list for the design: lowering electricity costs, addressing food waste and water usage, and promoting, "sustainability, inclusivity and community engagement" - all while adhering to the very real-world aspect of sticking to a budget.

Dr. Durai calls her approach to the project a "case study."

"They analyzed every part of the community center. What is available? What is lacking? What is currently going on?"

She says her students did a "super job," and Georgia Power's Education and Workforce Development Team agreed.

The EcoSpartans took the top prize, winning $500 for North Springs High School. Adding to their bragging rights, the school's other team in the competition placed in the top three.

Dr. Durai is humble about the accomplishment and the back-to-back wins.

"It's completely my students and just me supporting them and motivating them."

Congratulations to the North Springs EcoSpartans: Aoi Chiara Misawa, Paige Gaudet, Tanvi Bilimoria, Izhar Jean and Binta Bah.