Dover Dr. Vibha Sanwal[/caption] – Vibha Sanwal, MD, from Rainbow Pediatrics of Georgetown & Lewes, has been named a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Childhood Immunization Champion for her outstanding efforts to promote childhood immunizations in her clinic offices. The Division of Public Health’s (DPH) Immunization Program nominated the pediatrician for the award.

Dr. Sanwal is recognized for embracing the Assessment, Feedback, Incentive & eXchange (AFIX) assessment process by reviewing patient charts against the Immunization Information System (IIS) and updating individual immunization records as patients came in during their scheduled office visits. Her clinic staff also reviewed their patient roster to ensure that the roster in the IIS matched the patient roster in their Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. This process enables the IIS to reflect her clinic’s true coverage rates for all the vaccine-preventable diseases and provides a roadmap to ensure all her patients get each of the vaccines needed to stay healthy.

“Through the Childhood Immunization Champion awards, CDC and Delaware proudly acknowledge Dr. Sanwal’s passion, hard work and commitment to children’s health by working to eliminate vaccine preventable diseases in our state,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay.

“I am honored to be recognized as the Immunization Champion for Delaware,” Dr. Sanwal said. “Vaccinations prevent disease and reduce suffering, improve our quality of life, and help our children live long, fulfilling lives. We will continue to work hard to improve the immunization rate of our population at Rainbow Pediatrics.”

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 21 to 28, 2018, is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and to celebrate the achievements of immunization programs in promoting healthy communities throughout the United States. Each year during NIIW, the CDC Foundation honors health professionals and community leaders from around the country with the CDC Childhood Immunization Champion awards. These awards acknowledge the outstanding efforts of those individuals who strive to ensure that children in their communities are fully immunized against 14 preventable diseases before the age of two.

“The tremendous success of CDC’s immunization programs to protect the nation’s children from vaccine-preventable diseases is a direct result of the efforts of childhood immunization champions,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC. “We cannot overstate the value of the dedication our Champions have shown, which ultimately protects our children, schools, and communities from serious diseases.”

CDC Childhood Immunization Champions were selected from a pool of health professionals, coalition members, community advocates and other immunization leaders. State Immunization Programs coordinated the nomination process and submitted nominees to CDC. One winner was selected in each of the 50 participating states and the District of Columbia.

For profiles of other CDC Childhood Immunization Champion award winners, visit https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/champions.

For information on immunization schedules for infants and children, visit: http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dph/dpc/immunize-children.html.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

HARRINGTON – DNREC’s Division of Energy & Climate teamed up with the Delaware Technology Student Association Thursday, April 26 to host 19 teams of middle school students from across the state for the 2018 Junior Solar Sprint solar-powered model car competition, with racers competing for top speed in time trials, as well as for awards in engineering design and creative design.

Students and educators representing 12 schools gathered in Harrington for the event, a Delaware tradition for more than 20 years in which students work with classmates and teacher advisors to build model cars powered by solar photovoltaic cells, better known as solar panels. When the Junior Solar Sprint competition came to a close, Pierre S. duPont Middle School of Wilmington was declared the all-around winner for combined speed, design, and presentation. Henry B. duPont Middle School of Hockessin came second, with Fred Fifer III Middle School of Camden third. (See additional Junior Solar Sprint results below.)

“Junior Solar Sprint challenges students to think about ways that we can meet our energy needs cleanly and securely,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “The best learning happens while students are having fun. They gain fond memories looking back – and career ideas looking forward.”

The Junior Solar Sprint competition is part of a national program from the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program. It encourages students to engage in problem-solving, teamwork, and creative scientific thinking to solve environmental challenges. This year’s competition took place as one event in the Delaware Technology Student Association 2018 State Conference, which drew several hundred students to compete in various science and technology challenges.

Participating schools in this year’s Junior Solar Sprint were:

• H.B. duPont Middle School, Hockessin
• P.S. duPont Middle School, Wilmington
• Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington
• Holy Cross School, Dover
• Fred Fifer III Middle School, Camden
• Beacon Middle School, Lewes
• Springer Middle School, Wilmington
• Postlethwait Middle School, Camden
• Central Middle School, Dover
• Gauger-Cobbs Middle School, Newark
• The Jefferson School, Georgetown
• Alfred G. Waters Middle School, Middletown

Competition Results
All-around winners for combined speed, design, and presentation:

• 1st place: Team #18, P.S. duPont Middle School
• 2nd place: Team #15, H.B. duPont Middle School
• 3rd place: Team # 9, Fred Fifer III Middle School

Top five teams in time-trial races:

• 1st place: Team #18, P.S. duPont Middle School
• 2nd place: Team #15, H.B. duPont Middle School
• 3rd place: Team #4, Beacon Middle School
• 4th place: Team #17, Holy Cross School
• 5th place: Team #23, Springer Middle School

Top five teams in creative design:

• 1st place: Team #6, Cab Calloway School of the Arts
• 2nd place: Team #16, Holy Cross School
• 3rd place: Team #23, Springer Middle School
• 4th place: Team #7, Central Middle School
• 5th place: Team #4, Beacon Middle School

DNREC would like to thank the 2018 Junior Solar Sprint sponsors: Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility, Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, Delaware Electric Cooperative, Chesapeake Utilities, and CMI Solar.

For more information on renewable energy programs administered by DNREC’s Division of Energy & Climate, visit dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/energy-climate/renewable/.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 95

-30-

GREENWOOD – Charter School of Wilmington Team A was named the champion of the 2018 Delaware Envirothon competition held Thursday, April 26 at Swartzentruber Farm in Greenwood and sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Charter School of Wilmington won the school’s 19th Envirothon championship in the event’s 23-year history, including an unbroken winning streak since 2002.

Team A (pictured above) is Ashley Pennington, Harshitha Henry, Priyanka Hoskere, Siddharth Gangrade, and Tara Lennon. Charter School of Wilmington Teams’ B and C placed second and third, respectively, in this year’s Envirothon competition.

All 110 students stepped into the outdoor classroom of a 200-acre grass-fed beef cattle operation to test their knowledge of natural resources after preparing all school year. Each of the 22 teams answered questions, reviewed specimens and took measurements in topics dealing with aquatic ecology, soils/land-use, wildlife, forestry, air quality and the current environmental issue of pasture management. Teams also gave a seven- to 10-minute oral presentation of a scenario in which they developed a management plan to optimize grazing potential, enhance wildlife in the area and improve water quality. After more than three hours of testing, Charter School of Wilmington Team A was named the 2018 state champion.

Each member of the winning team earned a $500 scholarship from the Delaware Envirothon, an award plaque for their school, and additional prizes. Charter School of Wilmington Team A will also advance to represent Delaware in the 2018 National Conservation Foundation Envirothon at Idaho State University this summer. The second-, third- and fourth-place teams received more than $1,155 in special team awards and cash prizes.

Prizes in the form of gift cards and ribbons were awarded to the top seven teams. The official results are as follows:

• First place: Charter School of Wilmington, Team A
• Second place: Charter School of Wilmington, Team B
• Third place: Charter School of Wilmington, Team C
• Fourth place: MOT Charter, Team A
• Fifth place: Middletown High School, Team Sneaky Snakes
• Sixth place: Peach Blossom 4-H Club
• Seventh place: Middletown High School FFA, Team Envirotots

Since its inception, the Delaware Envirothon has awarded $57,500 in scholarships to 115 students. The competition is sponsored annually by DNREC and hosted by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD), a voluntary, non-profit association that coordinates conservation efforts statewide to focus on natural resource issues identified by Delaware’s three local districts.

For more information about the Delaware Envirothon, please visit www.delawareenvirothon.org or contact Rick Mickowski at 302-832-3100 ext. 113.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 96

with a Panel Discussion moderated by Governor Carney

Watch as 5 speakers, one musical performance, and a live art experience all answer the question “Why Wilmington?”

Fourth grade students at Gallaher Elementary sweep top three spots

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney, joined by Chief Information Officer James Collins, Christina School District Superintendent Richard Gregg, and other officials, parents and students from Christina School District, today celebrated the winners of the 2018 “Kids Safe Online” Poster Contest at Gallaher Elementary School. For the first time in the ten year history of the contest there was a complete sweep of winners from the same school. Art teacher Kelly Walzl’s fourth grade students Aubrie Rodriguez, Clayton Starkey, and Catalina Syto placed first, second and third, respectively. These students’ posters were judged to be the best among 1,400 submissions. Gallaher Elementary School has placed in the top three for the last five consecutive years and has two previous national winners.

“The importance of cyber safety cannot be overstated and the ‘Kids Safe Online’ Poster Contest is a creative way to encourage young people to be cautious about what they share on the Internet, teaching them the potential risks,” said Governor John Carney. “Awareness and education are key to ensuring our children know how to stay safe online.”

“I’d like to commend all kids that participated in this year’s contest and a special congratulations to the winners at Gallaher Elementary,” said Chief Information Officer James Collins. “We’re so glad to be able to partner with schools across the entire state to bring cyber security safety presentations and the ‘Kids Safe Online’ Poster Contest to the classroom to engage our young people on their level.”

“Congratulations to these Gallaher students for their outstanding work. Their posters will help spread this important message to their peers across the state,” said Secretary of Education Susan Bunting.

The “Kids Safe Online” poster contest is sponsored on the state level by the Delaware Department of Technology and Information. The program encourages young people to use the Internet safely and securely and engages them in creating messages and images to communicate to their peers the importance of staying safe online. The contest is run in conjunction with cyber safety presentations given in schools across the state in October, which is National Cyber Security Month. Over 1,400 students from fourth and fifth grades across Delaware submitted high quality posters for consideration. The top three state selections were also submitted to the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) for entry into its national 2018 Kids Safe Online poster contest.

For more information about how to stay safe online, please visit digiknow.dti.delaware.gov.