Magenta House Expo 2026 wrap-up
You Can Change the World.
Yes, you.
Even you, a middleschooler.
The Magenta House 2026 season has just ended with its end-of-term Expo. Twenty unique water- and power-saving projects were developed in nine classes at six schools. Of those twenty, eight were selected as semi-finalists for Expo showcase; five won awards.
If anyone has ever wondered what 6th and 7th graders can do to save the world, all they need to do is look at these projects. Project topics ranged from educational exposes on AI – challenging their own school to do better – to a team tackling engineering and computer programming to create their own unique water sensor to make the watering of lawns more efficient.
One team handed out hundreds of native plant growing kits alongside educational information on why they matter. Another upcycled hundreds of pieces of “trash” into items as diverse as pillows, flowers, and pencil holders. Some teams even addressed things we at Pando had never even thought to focus on before, such as what to do with old electronic charging cords.
In short, it was an exceptional Magenta House school year. But don’t take our word for it, see for yourself (go here)! Each deserved an award in its own right.
But, at the end of the day, after passing under the critical eyes of our distinguished panels of judges, only five awards were passed out:
- The Build-Something-That-Matters Award – for engineering innovation in water conservation: Porter Middle School, Aqua Sense: The Smart Water Moisture Sensor
- The Willing-to-Get-Your-Hands-Dirty Award – for composting and waste management education: Palms Middle School, Know Before You Throw
- The It-All-Adds-Up Award – for building sustainability in over 100 little ways: Byrd Middle School, Little Things
- The Just-Roll-Up-Your-Sleeves Award – for modeling a DIY rain barrel solution: Roy Romer Middle School, Recycled Plastic Drums: Respect Every Drop
- The Audacity Award – for taking on an entire range of sustainability challenges, and actually doing something about them: Woodland Hills Academy Humanities Magnet, Rooted at Home
With kids like these growing up, the future is still looking bright. Or even more than bright: Magenta.
Magenta House will be back for the Spring 2027 term. Stay tuned.