[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 5, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE ROCHESTER GIRL SCOUT TECH TEAM, THE 
                             HIPPIE PANDAS

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 5, 2012

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor and privilege to 
congratulate the Girl Scout tech team, known as the Hippie Pandas, who 
participated in the FIRST 2012 Championship--a celebration of science, 
technology, and robots involving more than 600 student teams from 32 
countries around the world. For their innovative work and outstanding 
professionalism, the Hippie Pandas of Rochester, New York, were awarded 
the ``Gracious Professionalism Award.''
  As someone who places great value on science and technology, I am so 
pleased to see the tremendous success of these four girls from 
Rochester, New York. The Hippie Pandas, aged 11 14, are not only an 
inspiration for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) 
education for girls around the country, but they have also found a 
creative way to help communities in Nicaragua.
  After learning that women in Nicaragua experience a high rate of 
miscarriage and disease because they drink unpasteurized milk, the 
Hippie Pandas set out to use their skills to develop an inexpensive and 
accessible solution to address this pressing problem. With the help of 
their coach and mentor, Cheryl Lawniczak, a chemical engineer at 
Eastman Kodak Co, and faculty members at the Rochester Institute of 
Technology, the girls designed and built a solar powered device to heat 
milk to 145 degrees to kill harmful bacteria.
  The Hippie Pandas initially used a thermometer to determine when the 
milk reached target temperature, but realizing this would be 
impractical for most Nicaraguan women, they developed a clever and 
natural alternative--beeswax, which melts when milk has reached 145 
degrees.
  This solar powered milk pasteurizing device is currently being 
implemented in Nicaragua to help women treat raw milk so that it is 
safe to drink. As one of the Hippie Pandas stated, ``One thing we 
definitely learned is how dangerous raw milk can be and how 
pasteurization helps. . .We also learned that as kids, we can help 
people around the world to live safer lives.''
  At a time when we as a nation have fallen behind in STEM education, 
the success of the Hippie Pandas is truly inspirational. The life 
lessons of teamwork, leadership, and dedication can only be learned 
through hard work and experience.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating each of 
these girls along with their mentors at Rochester Institute of 
Technology and Eastman Kodak Co. for their innovative work and 
dedication to science and technology.

                          ____________________