WARRENVILLE, Ill. — IC Bus is encouraging students nationwide to submit materials that convey their visions for how they would make their schools a “greener” place for its second annual America’s Greenest School contest.

Last year, nearly 2,000 students competed for their schools to receive the title and this year the program has been expanded to include more opportunities for students to enter.

“As parents, students and teachers are looking at ways to lead a greener life, school is a great place to show environmental leadership,” said John McKinney, president of IC Bus. “The America’s Greenest School contest is one way to help educate and influence eco-friendly behavior, like riding the bus to school instead of using a passenger car.”

Students may submit a variety of entries, such as drawings, collages, videos, music, models, dioramas or essays, to illustrate their visions.

“Since every school bus has the capacity to take 36 cars off the road, school bus transportation is inherently eco-friendly. As part of their contest entry, we would like students to demonstrate how their school is committed to green transportation,” McKinney added.

IC Bus will select 10 finalists and America will choose the winner through online voting. The winner will be announced the week of Earth Day in April and the school of the winning entrant will receive a hybrid school bus from IC, a green audit from a reputable expert and approximately $20,000 for green initiatives.

Contest details and entry guidelines are available at www.AmericasGreenestSchool.com.

Last year, Irvington High School in Freemont, Calif., was chosen as America’s Greenest School. The school received a hybrid bus from IC based on the essay by high school sophomore Alexander Chen. Chen received a $5,000 scholarship and his teacher, Clint Johns, who is also the school’s green coordinator, received $3,000 for green school supplies.

Chen’s essay outlined the areas where his school has become more energy efficient, including reducing its energy use by one-third. Student responsibility was also a key area in Chen’s essay. He wrote that students are encouraged to recycle and he described the school’s food scrap recycling program that diverts waste from landfills.