Illinois-based Navistar International Corporation, the maker of diesel hybrid school buses and trucks, has won the prestigious 2007 Blue Sky Award from WestStart-CALSTART, the nation’s leading advanced transportation technologies consortium. Navistar was recognized for its contributions to commercial hybrid-diesel technology.

This press release from the company says Navistar officials will be on hand for the award presentation and will provide a display of its Green Diesel Hybrid school bus and a diesel-hybrid truck including a hands-on tour of the powertrain, and explain its benefits at the awards ceremonies this coming Thursday, Sept. 6th at the Athenaeum on the campus of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena:

Diesel hybrids offer the most advanced alternative for progressive school districts looking to modernize their fleet. By combining a certified clean diesel engine with an electric system that recovers energy during braking, hybrid school buses deliver up to 70%-100% better fuel economy and 30%-60% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional buses. They provide policymakers and business owners an attractive option for meeting the state’s energy efficiency, clean air and climate change goals.

So while you might not be able to make your kids breathe easier about going to school, it looks like some companies are at least trying to let them breathe easier for the ride there.