Photo Update: Jiminy Cricket's Environmentality Challenge

[Mac Daddy]

So...today (5/4) dawned as a nice, partly cloudy Friday. Since I didn't have to go in to work, I grabbed my camera and, of course, headed to the DLR for a few shots.

It was breezy and cool as I reached the gates...




As I reached the hub, my keen annual passholder instincts told me something was up:




Indeed, some sort of ceremony was about to take place. I stopped for a closer look:















After watching them set up for a few minutes, I headed over to TSI to snag some more shots while I waited for the show to begin, which it did prompty at 10 AM:




The guests of honor were these elementary school students. I didn't quite catch where they were from, but I'll check into it and see if I can find out:





The band starts to play...




...and the show begins...




Try to guess what's on these kids' minds:




The California Secretary of Environmental something something commends the kids for their outstanding work in creating owl habitats in their neck of the woods:




Speaking of owls, these two came out and proceeded to burst into song after some preliminary tootsie pop jokes, etc. Their first song, of course, was "Let's All Sing Like The Birdies Sing..."





One of them seemed very familiar. Maybe one of the Genie's in Aladdin? Hmmm...


Soon they were joined by Gladys Knight and the......Peeps.






If you were visiting today from, say, somewhere in Asia, I imagine you would have spent several minutes trying to figure out what Disney movie these characters were from.

Translation: "What the...?"




And of course, you can't have Jiminy Cricket's Challenge without.....Jiminy Cricket:




The ceremony concluded with each student receiving a medal. (Someone needs to tell me where to sign up for this. You build an owl's nest and get the day off of school, a cool T shirt, and a medal.)







Before today, I was not aware of this program. Has anyone else heard of this through your kid's schools? They mentioned that this was their 13th year. It seemed like a great way to get kids motivated to do something for the environment. Did anyone else see this this morning? Thoughts?

[MollyTrolly]

Wow what a cool program. I know during the 50th they had the Jiminy Cricket pin that CMs woudl give out to guests they caught doing something nice (picking up trash, etc). I didnt realize they had a whole program, I hope those kids got to go on some rides after the ceremony!!!

[KatieGraceee]

is this only happening today? i'm going to the park tomorrow and i'd love to see it!

[Mac Daddy]

Originally Posted by KatieGraceee

is this only happening today? i'm going to the park tomorrow and i'd love to see it!

I'm pretty sure it was a one day event.

After digging around, here's what else these lucky kids win:


Environmentality lunch box
Class plaque
Financial award up to $500
RADIO DISNEY STREET TEAM LUNCH BREAK


Grand Prize: Each class member receives all of the above

PLUS!!

An all-expenses-paid trip to the Disneyland® Resort and a special "heroes" award ceremony in April/May 2007

Not bad, eh?

[wickeddisneygurl]

hey! my elementary school participated in that back in the day! we got second place if i remember correctly. you come up with a project based on improving the environment. i recall that we did something with soil and earthworms.

[chadb14]

That group of kids is lucky. What a cool thing.

[Kuzcochik]

What were these kids thinking:

"Come on!! Bring out the Giant Cricket already! I wanna go on Space Mountian!!!"

[penguinsoda]

Wow, I've never heard of this program, but what a great one!

[Melody]

GO DADDY! Thanks for sharing!

luv, goosie

[Rixter]

Wow! That is so cool! Just another one of the thousands of things that make Disneyland a special place.

How lucky we are to have your photos and trip report. Thanks for sharing!

[NeverNeverland]

FYI the winners...
http://www.creec.org/region3/stories/storyReader$185
Sutterville Elementary's Mitch Carnie, his class of fifth grade students, and their parents will travel to Disneyland as California's Grand Prize winners of the Jiminy Cricket Environmentality Challenge! Their project, "The Great Watershed Investigation: Saving Our Burrowing Owls & Raptors," focussed on the decline of burrowing owls in the area surrounding the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. To read more about the project, see the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service April 10, 2007 journal entry.

[Mac Daddy]

Originally Posted by NeverNeverland

FYI the winners...
http://www.creec.org/region3/stories/storyReader$185
Sutterville Elementary's Mitch Carnie, his class of fifth grade students, and their parents will travel to Disneyland as California's Grand Prize winners of the Jiminy Cricket Environmentality Challenge! Their project, "The Great Watershed Investigation: Saving Our Burrowing Owls & Raptors," focussed on the decline of burrowing owls in the area surrounding the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. To read more about the project, see the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service April 10, 2007 journal entry.

Thanks NNL. Here's a link to the Jiminy Cricket Challenge on the Disney Website:

http://disney.go.com/environmentality/jcec/home.html

Congratulations to those lucky kids.

[Villains Fan]

What a great thing for those kids! I just love Gladys Knight and the Peeps