President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) 2010 Winners
2010 Winners
EPA Region 1
Youth Climate Action Network (Youth CAN)
Boston Latin Schools
Massachusetts
Boston Latin School (BLS) students founded the Youth Climate Action Network (Youth CAN) in 2007 after watching the movie, An Inconvenient Truth. BLS Youth CAN was the first and founding group of a growing network of afterschool, extra-curricular environmental climate change clubs. BLS Youth CAN's major initiatives include a statewide education for sustainability campaign and corresponding curriculum initiative, a free annual climate change summit at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for youth and educators, a growing network of Youth Climate Action member clubs in Massachusetts schools, a shared green roof and community learning center proposal that students developed in partnership with Studio G Architects, and a comprehensive sustainable food program working with Farm to School, a local chef, and parents. The students act to address issues of global climate change and promote sustainability in their school and communities. They engage in extensive educational outreach and host numerous events for students and teachers. They are demonstrating a model for greening middle and high school campuses and curriculum, and are promoting a network capable of fostering youth leadership statewide.
In the four years since BLS Youth CAN was founded the students have won tens of thousands of dollars in grants, competitions and prizes. Their accomplishments include the launching of a statewide education for sustainability campaign, proposing a green roof and community learning center to be shared with other schools, and conducting an energy audit and energy assessments for BLS.
BLS Youth CAN has also organized and hosted many events such as an annual climate summit at MIT, an annual fall kick-off for the Youth Climate Action Network, an annual Teach-In on global climate change solutions at the Boston Latin School, and a weeklong Summer Institute on Sustainability for educators.
EPA Region 2
D.R.O.P. (Delanco Recycles Our Plastic) Bags
Miranda P.
New Jersey
Over 500,000 plastic bags have been collected for recycle or reuse since Miranda founded D.R.O.P. (Delanco Recycles Our Plastic) Bags in 2008. Pawline began the project after witnessing excessive amounts of plastic bags in and alongside of the Delaware River near where she lives. Plastic bags are not part of the Delanco Township public recycling program so Pawline set up drop-off sites around the area. Recycling buckets are now located in the schools, library and municipal building. Pawline let the residents know about the program through notices, the local paper and on the township website. She collects the bags on a regular basis and takes them to the local ShopRite where they are picked up by a company that uses the plastic to create lumber products.
To date, Pawline has spearheaded the collection of over 500,000 plastic bags. She promotes recycling and the use of reusable shopping bags by distributing reusable bags at the Burlington County Earth Fair, Delran Day, Delanco Community Day, and works in conjunction with the Philadelphia Phillies Red Goes Green campaign. She was also honored to plug into the multi-million dollar solar field for the Mt. Laurel Municipal Ambassador for the New Jersey Clean Communities Council. Wearing her plastic bag Green Queen ball gown, she passed out reusable bags at trade shows and public events throughout New Jersey and has recorded public service announcements that will air on network and cable stations.
Additionally, Pawline is an honor roll student, in the school band, and passionate about playing sports. Outside of school she volunteers with many community organizations. She was Miss New Jersey Junior National Teenager in 2009 and is the 2011 America's Junior National Sweetheart, a title she earned for scholastic achievement, community service and leadership.
EPA Region 3
Environmental Awareness Festival
Joy Best
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia high school senior Joy Best was presented the EPA Region 3 President's Environmental Youth Award for her hard work to bring environmental awareness to her community.
EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin presented the award to Best at a ceremony held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on April 13, 2011. Best developed and implemented an Environmental Awareness Festival geared toward both students and adults at the Wyoming Branch of the Philadelphia Library in Philadelphia's Feltonville section. The festival used youth-led research, displays, arts and crafts, and experiments to educate and inspire the community about environmental issues including water protection, solar energy, urban forestry and community gardens. Best was assisted by other youth, ages 9 to 15, and her sponsors.
EPA Region 4
Wetland Boardwalk & Wildlife Observation Deck
Kyle Kittelberger
North Carolina
Kyle Kittelberger began the construction of an 80-foot wetland boardwalk at Falls Lake Recreation Area in 2008 to earn his Eagle Scout. Over the next two years Kittelberger continued his environmental endeavors by building new access points throughout the recreation center and improving the surrounding habitat. Kittelberger built an observation deck, new staircases to prevent erosion and eight recycling centers throughout the recreation center. Public access was improved so visitors could better enjoy the outdoors. The surrounding habitat was also improved by removing invasive species. With the help of park rangers, Kittelberger and volunteers were able to remove the invasive species, Autumn Olive, which was threatening native plants.
Kittelberger was presented the President's Environmental Youth Award by EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Stan Meiburg at Raleigh's "Planet Earth Celebration" on April 16, 2011.
Kitterlberger's project is divided into four parts which allows for promotion of awareness of our nation's natural resources and encourages positive community involvement while addressing conservation and sustainability issues in the ecosystem at the Sandling Beach, Falls Lake State Park.
EPA Region 5
EcoMacs
Mother McAuley High School
Illinois
Just before the major earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti, a group of teenagers, thousands of miles away in Chicago, Illinois, were hard at work developing a solar-powered biodiesel processor for a Haitian school.
The EcoMacs consist of young women from Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School. These PEYA winners developed Operation Haiti with the hopes to bring more economic stability to Pichon, Haiti. The students studied the region, the people and the economy. They took the initiative to learn about the environmental resources available in the village of Pichon, such as the Jathropha plant and constant sun exposure.
To utilize the natural resources of Pichon, the students built a solar-powered biodiesel processor and worked with farmers to plant Jathropa whose seed oil can be converted to marketable products. The EcoMacs educated students and faculty at the Pichon School on the process of making soap out of a glycerin by-product and the use of biodiesel in oil lamps.
Due to logistical issues, the processor is still awaiting shipment to the Pichon School, but that did not stop the EcoMacs from continuing to promote environmental awareness by educating members of the local community about the project through PowerPoint slides and Earth Day events.
The Mother McAuley High School EcoMacs were presented the President's Environmental Youth Award for Region 5 by EPA Deputy Regional Director of Air and Radiation, Bruce Sypeniewski on April 13, 2011.
EPA Region 6
Abbie R., Kennedy B., Jenna B.
Texas
Three teens from Allen, Texas created the H.O.P.E. (Help Our Planet Earth) for the Best Campaign in 2008 to educate people about the long- and short-term effects of plastic bags on the environment. The founders of H.O.P.E. are focused on encouraging people to switch from disposable plastic shopping bags to reusable bags.
The inspiration for the H.O.P.E. for the Best Campaign began when a mother of one of the teens wanted to create an environmentally friendly reusable bag and asked her daughter to do research on the environmental impacts of plastic bags. After completing the research and sharing the shocking information with friends, the three Texas young women became inspired to make the switch to reusable bags and campaign for others to do the same.
The high school students have spread the word of H.O.P.E, by handing out brochures, traveling to eco-events and giving presentations at schools, businesses and government organizations.
The teens were presented the President's Environmental Youth Award by EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz on April 22, 2011 at an Earth Day event in Dallas, Texas.
EPA Region 7
Renew and Reconnect
Goddard High School
Kansas
Students at Goddard High School were presented the President's Environmental Youth Award for their "renew and reconnect" project that led to the development of an Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site (OWLS).
Close to 130 students participated in the "renew and reconnect" project that restored a 4,000-square foot native area of prairie grasses located on school grounds. They also established and maintained three garden beds as a native prairie garden which contains culturally significant native plants. The plants helped to certify the site as a Monarch Way Station for migrating Monarch butterflies. Students also built benches to be used by classes visiting the gardens and developed ceramic sculptures that are displayed along the tall grass nature trail. By collecting paper and aluminum cans from district schools, the students have been able to use the recycling proceeds to fund many of their environmental projects.
Region 7 Deputy Administrator William Rice presented the award to Goddard High School as part of the school's Celebrate Earth Event on April 20, 2011. During the Celebrate Earth Event, teachers and high school students from Goddard conducted environmental workshops for visiting elementary school students. The event included environmental- and biology-themed demonstration booths, static displays, and games. There were also six hands-on classroom lab opportunities featuring an oil spill simulation, creation of a watershed and a game highlighting the predator-prey relationship.
EPA Region 8
Net Zero Club
Fairview High School
Colorado
A group of students from Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado received the President's Environmental Youth Award at a March 2, 2011 ceremony attended by officials from EPA's office in Denver, Colorado. The students were recognized for founding the Net Zero Club in 2007 and taking extensive measures to make their high school more environmentally sustainable.
"The committed students of the Net Zero Club have not only reduced Fairview High's carbon and waste footprint, they have raised environmental awareness and left a legacy of sustainable practices that will benefit future generations of students," said Larry Grandison, EPA's regional communications director.
The long-term environmental impacts the students have made at Fairview High are impressive. More than 150 student volunteers planted 59 trees in the schoolyard, which will absorb roughly 2,800 pounds of carbon every year. The students also made changes in waste management practices at Fairview, which now diverts about 260 cubic yards of waste from the landfill annually, through recycling, composting and waste reduction. Additionally, measures taken by students have eliminated nearly 900 pounds of junk mail a year.
EPA Region 9
F.A.S.T. (Falcon Autistic Solar Team)
Independence High School
California
High functioning students with autism at Independence High School formed the Falcon Autistic Solar Team (F.A.S.T.), a club that peer-tutors students about how solar panels take radiant energy from the sun and convert it into electricity.
During visits to various Kern County schools, F.A.S.T. conducts demonstrations of what solar power can accomplish, using models built by club members. The solar-powered models include cars, a house with a working ceiling fan, and a Ferris wheel. During demonstrations, a solar-powered oven even bakes cookies for the audience!
F.A.S.T. members help special-needs students at Independence High School gain a concrete understanding of the science behind alternative energy forms and usage, teaching about topics such as radiant energy, photosynthesis, photovoltaic systems, and how solar energy conversions can be technologically applied. They raise awareness of how the energy choices we make can lead to a more sustainable community.
F.A.S.T. activities bring autistic students who have a passion for science and the environment into the mainstream of education, allowing this student population to be more fully integrated in campus life and to develop socialization and public speaking skills. The core goals of F.A.S.T. are to integrate these ambassadors of solar energy into the broader community and to promote awareness about green and renewable energy as a basis for a more sustainable future and for environmental stewardship.
EPA Region 10
Green Team
Tahoma Senior High School
Washington
Soon after realizing that Tahoma Senior High School did not have an environmental club, senior Cort Hammond took the initiative to form the Green Team in 2008. By the end of the year, the garbage output of the school decreased from 100 to 60 cubic yards per week, saving the school $24,000 in landfill expenses.
In addition, the club has brought recycling, conservation, and community involvement to the high school. Other projects include the Adopt-a-Road program, recycling of Styrofoam products, restoration projects, energy reduction programs, community outreach, and lunchroom food waste collection.
The Green Team was presented the President's Environmental Youth Award on April 25, 2011 at an all-school assembly at Tahoma Senior High School in Covington, Washington.