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2008 Tekne Awards <br />Page 3 of 3 <br />GREEN AWARD <br />The Green Award honors businesses that practice environmental awazeness/responsibility and incorporate <br />sustainability principles into their overall business model. <br />• Small and growing comparry recipient is Landscape Structures. Landscape Structures, located in Delano, is a <br />leading manufacturer of commercial playground equipment. The company has long been dedicated to providing <br />healthier, more environmentally responsible playgrounds through refining their development and manufacturing <br />processes. Each of their manufacturing facilities hosts a "Green Board," which is used by employees to post <br />daily updates on environmental challenges and delivers monthly progress presentations to management. The <br />integration of green principles into every Ieve1 of their business model, from management to manufacturing, has <br />put Landscape Structures at the forefront of environmentally responsible business processes. <br />• Established company recipient is Great River Energy -Maple Grove-based Great River Energy is a member- <br />owned, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wholesale power to distribution cooperatives across <br />Minnesota and Wisconsin. Sustainability and environmentally sound practices are a focus of the organization, <br />incorporating renewable energy and reduced carbon emissions into their daily business-operations model. <br />Additionally, it has built an atmosphere of environmentally aware practices as its headquarters offices aze <br />progressively green. From an on-site wind turbine for renewable energy to rainwater collection for use in <br />bathrooms, Great River Energy is saving money, increasing employee productivity and preserving the <br />environment in many ways. <br />INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION AWARD <br />The Innovative Collaboration Award honors abusiness/community higher-ed/K-12 collaboration or partnership that <br />has demonstrated leadership, dedication and excellence in delivering an innovation to the Minnesota technology <br />economy and/or community in general. <br />. Innovative Collaboration of the Year Award recipient is The Bakken Museum of Minneapolis. The Bakken <br />Museum has teamed up with Minneapolis Public Schools to answer the increasing demand for new talent in <br />science- and technology-related fields. The School Partnership Program is designed to support elementary-age <br />students, specifically girls, racial minorities and underprivileged students, in developing science-related skills <br />and interests. So far, the program has served over 900 students in multiple schools. <br />INNOVATION IN TEACHING (K-12) AWARD <br />The Innovation in Teaching Award recognizes innovative classroom use of technology in K-12 Science, Technology, <br />Engineering and Math (STEM) education, expanding opportunities for students to be successful in technology-related <br />careers. <br />• Innovation in Teaching Award recipient is Jill Johnson of Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis. Jill <br />Johnson's engineering classes are part of Project Lead the Way, an integrated program designed to increase <br />STEM education for middle and high school students. She works with students to develop a plan for after high <br />school by applying for engineering scholazships or earning early college credit in engineering courses. In <br />addition to the Tekne trophy, the award recipient will receive a $5,000 grant for classroom use from the Society <br />of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation. <br />The 2008 Tekne Awards are made possible by the generous support of its sponsors: <br />^ Platinum: Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, Thomson Reuters, Unisys <br />^ Innovation Toast: Ion Corporation <br />^ Gold: Comcast Business Services, Ecolab, Honeywell, Padilla Speer Beardsley, <br />^ Media: Twin Cities Business <br />^ Silver: Cargill, Carver Moquist & O'Connor LLC, Digital Solutions, Fish & Richardson, KPMG, <br />PricewaterhouseCoopers, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P, Stazkey <br />• Gold Foundation: ADC, Ion Corporation <br />^ Silver Foundation: Minnesota Computers for Schools <br />t` t '~x <br />c~r'Rr~~•;~ f~~ LifeScienccAlley <br />Minnesota Tekne Awards <br />300 South Highway 169, Suite 400. Minneapolis, MN 55426 <br />Phone: (952) 230-4554 Fax: (952) 230-4550, info@tekneawards.org <br />http://www.tekneawards.org/ 11/5/2008 <br />