Recharging for 2022: How we can all learn from Brown Academy's Gig City Girls team

On a chilly Friday morning as the sun rose over the Tennessee Aquarium, an 11-year-old from Brown Academy named Macy arrived at the newly constructed Chattanooga Green Prix track on the Riverfront with her classmates and team.

The Gig City Girls team had clear goals:

- to work together,

- communicate clearly,

- encourage each other,

- have fun,

- and to find their confidence.

While the event itself was to race student-designed electric-powered cars, winning to these future female leaders was about so much more than being in first place.

The team had already learned about car design, graphic design, physics, and renewable energy to prepare for the race and build their car. Their team logo was inspired by their shared belief that every girl at Brown Academy — no matter their looks, dress, or ability — was welcome to contribute to their team.

They were as proud to showcase their squad's spirit as they were their racecar.

Before the engines started and the checkered flags waved, Macy took a deep breath and told her team's story to a panel of judges for the presentation portion of the event.

Macy proudly explained that she was going to become a mechanical engineer. She saw a future for herself through Green Prix programming. The hands-on opportunities made her dreams tangible.

Equally important to her was that every single member of the team, even if they weren't going to be driving in the race, got to test drive the car during the team's practice laps. She wanted to ensure everyone had a memorable experience.

But then, just as the race began, there was clearly something wrong.

The Gig City Girls' car was slowing down lap after lap. Macy knew something had to be done.

Her team realized that they had used too much of the battery during practice. It was now slowing them down and desperately needed to be changed, but the team drivers knew their lap scores would stop as soon as they were replaced.

They decided that they wanted to stay positive and that their experience was more important than their final score so they decided to pit their car, work together to replace the battery, and then finish the race strong.
Because of their teamwork, they won the Bill Perry Perseverance Award.

Macy's story, like countless others from the Chattanooga Green Prix and other award-winning green|spaces programs, connects the quality of the environment with quality of life.

We believe this is how you create a stronger community for all.

Macy was inspired to make the world a better place. We share her optimism and her grit — especially as 2020 and 2021 have presented major, unforseen challenges for every nonprofit.

Even as our staff and board had to pivot nearly every program we run, green|spaces, Chattanooga's Sustainability Nonprofit, ended 2020 with a positive balance sheet.

In 2021 we relaunched Built it Green, the Green Prix, certified green|light businesses and green|leaders, and doubled the reach of our Empower program both within the city and to include eight counties surrounding Chattanooga.

Will you help us recharge to end 2021 with the strength we need to start 2022 with a full battery?

With support like yours this Giving Tuesday, green|spaces will continue to work to make the Chattanooga region a more sustainable and resilient community for all.

You can help us meet our end-of-year goal through our new Sustainers Circle or by becoming a member today…