Plastic Bottle Boat Sets Sail

So you've heard of a ship-in-a-bottle, but what about a ship made of bottles? This past Saturday, a sail boat made out of 12,000 recycled plastic bottles and other recycled materials set sail for a 3 month voyage across the Pacific. The Plastiki, as it is cleverly named, will sail from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia to call attention to environmental issues such as pollution and global warming, and their effects on our oceans.

David de Rothschild and his 5-person crew will man the vessel through regions of the Pacific Ocean that have been negatively affected by pollution. One such area being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating mound of trash that is estimated to be twice the size of Texas.

The Plastiki is made buoyant by 12,000 plastic bottles filled with carbon dioxide. The mast is made from a used irrigation pipe, and the sail was fashioned from recycled PET plastic. Solar panels and wind energy are used to power the boat, along with an exercise bike connected to a generator. In addition, the crew will use rain water to take showers and a vertical garden to grow some of their food.

You can track the boat's progress, learn more about how it was made, or check out pictures on the Plastiki Website.

Two LA SCORES Poets are New York Bound!

After holding auditions at all three of our LA SCORES elementary schools, two poets have been chosen! Selected because of their unique poetry, performance style and positive attitude, Kamari (Charnock, grade 5) and Jose (Palms, grade 5) will travel to New York City to celebrate the power of spoken word during National Poetry Month. They will join 24 other young poet-athletes from SCORES sites around the country to perform in front of VIP guests including Sunil Gulati, the president of the US Soccer Federation. The SLAM! will take place at the New York Stock Exchange on April 19th. We will have more details about the National Poetry SLAM! and the unique opportunities the kids will have during their stay in the weeks leading up to the event. For now, let's put the spotlight on the two participants who will be representing Los Angeles.

Karmari started with LA SCORES in 3rd grade and has been an exemplary student ever since. She wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up and her passion for fashion is evident in some of the poems she has written. She was born in Brooklyn and moved to Los Angeles when she was 7 years old so for Kamari, this opportunity is her first chance to travel back to her home state. Aside from that, her excitement to travel to New York is fueled by the opportunity to do something that she loves: performing her poetry. Drawing inspiration from people such as Johnny Depp, who she says "can set his mind to anything", and Judy Blume, who is the author of her favorite book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Kamari enjoys writing poems about "feelings, life, and ordinary things."

I Am

I am fashionable, cute and hungry.
I am a horse or a zebra or a flamingo because I'm pretty on the inside.

I am fashion show day.

I'm a boot because I'm fashionable.

I'm aqua.

I'm Michael Jackson sound because my mom says I fascinate people.

I'm a circle cause I go round and round.

I'm a violin because I like the music.

I'm water.

I wish I was a fashion designer. I'll be walking down Gucci runway.

I would be french fries.
I'm fashionable, funky, and fresh.

-Kamari

Jose, more commonly referred to as 'Little Man', has also been with LA SCORES since 3rd grade. His favorite part of SCORES is playing soccer, but his poetry is just as inspiring as his soccer skills. Jose's favorite book is Bridge to Terabithia and in his own writing, he too is never afraid to let fantasy and his imagination lead him. Jose enjoys writing stories and lessons with the theme of "trying your best and following your dreams." For him, those dreams include playing in the Olympics and traveling. Jose has expressed his excitement about the opportunity to go to New York and specifically, to meet kids from all around the country.

MY HERO

My hero is a she!

Her name is Coach Karen.

But they named her Coacher.

Her power is everything.
She could save people's lives.

If a team is short,
she will help that team.

She is good at forward.

She once saved a plane from falling.

She has magic.

Once a kid forgot to bring

his soccer shoes for a soccer game

and she came with his shoes

on her hand.

She could do anything.

She is friendly to everybody.

-Jose