Magenta House

Magenta House is a civic engagement program focused on sustainability projects. It challenges middle-school students to invent water-saving and power-saving projects. LAUSD and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power are sponsors.

The Magenta House Expo is like a science fair, with judges, awards, prizes, and celebration. Student projects are shared with family, community and fellow students and teachers.

Spring 2026

A team of Palms students in the Environmental Science Club – Jasmine Argueta, Daphne Sierou Eldredge, Nico Munoz Giottonini, Zipo Gonzalez, Henry Leckart, Lu Lipmen, Arva Parikh, Abby Rison, and Ela Veli – developed and implemented a composting program at Palms. They entered the project in the Magenta House Expo contest and were chosen as a finalist, with the winners to be announced in the Fall.

The same project won $25,000 in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's "Heroes for Zero" Contest, middle school category, in June 2026.

A second project, called "Effects of AI," was created by Lu Lipmen, and was also chosen as a finalist.

The after-school Environmental Science Club is led by Ms. Garret.

Spring 2024 Expo

Four teams from Palms Middle School applied, and three made it to the Magenta House Expo.

One team earned Third Place, as announced at the award ceremony at Cal Tech. They earned a certificate and a cash prize for Palms.

Left to right:
Christos Chrysiliou, LAUSD's Chief Eco Sustainability Officer
7th grade Palms student Danilo Hogaboam
7th grade Palms student Nicolette Guan-Mangan
7th grade Palms student Sienna Kalents
Palms sponsor Ms. Garret
Paul Koretz, former L.A. City Councilperson