United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Communications, Education,
And Public Affairs
.(1707)  .
EPA171-F-96-001
1996
The President's
Environmental Youth
Awards
       National Winners

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The President's Environmental Youth Awards
  Young people in all fifty states and the U.S. territories
are invited to participate in the President's Environmental
Youth Awards Program, which offers them, individually
and collectively, an opportunity to become an environ-
mental force within their community.

  The President's Environmental Youth Awards Program
encourages individuals, school classes, schools, summer
camps, public interest groups, and youth organizations to
promote local environmental awareness and to channel
this awareness into positive community involvement.
                 "Preserving the environment is at the core
                   of everything we have to do in our own
               country...As we renew our environment, we
                        renew our national community."
                                                     President Bill Clinton
                  Carol M. Browner
                  EPA Administrator
                                  "Environmental protection begins with
                                  environmental education. Only by learning
                                  how we relate to our environment can we
                                  contribute to making and keeping the world
                                  around us a safer, cleaner place to live".

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     Project Examples

        On the island of Maui, is an ancient royal
     Hawaiian fishpond called Kanaha Pond that had
     become overgrown and was being used as a
     dump. Six members of Girl Scout Cadette Troop
     460 cut overgrown bushes and trees, removed
     tons of trash, pulled weeds and reintroduced
     native grasses and plants. Native waterfowl
     including the rare Hawaiian Stilt have returned to
     Kanaha Pond.
        In Colorado, Hygiene Elementary School
     project SOS-Save our Species-was a year-long
     study of wildlife and global habitats of endan-
     gered species. They designed and published an
     endangered species calendar, a 50-page coloring
     book, a conservation newspaper, and ten global
     habitat books. Every hallway was converted into
     a "hallway habitat" such as an Asian jungle or
     coral reef. Over 1,000 people  attended their
     community environmental festival.
     .  Future Fanners of America (FFA) members
     of Morgan County High School in Georgia
     started an environmental awareness program
     "Recycle Soon It's Vital to Our'planet (RSVP).'"
     They built and continue to operate the first
 county-wide recycling center-reducing the amount
 of trash in the landfill by 300,000 pounds. They
 used the proceeds to construct and
 maintain an Outdoor Environmen-
 tal Study Area and Classroom. This
 area consists of a three-acre
 "wildlife habitat" centered around a
 once nonexistent, one-acre pond.
 They drafted a state resolution,
 House Bill No. 168, that was
 passed by the State Legislature to
 encourage all citizens in Georgia to
 recycle and to respect the environ-
 ment.
    Boy Scout Troop 152 of
 Fayetteville, New York worked to
 revive a stream erosion abatement
 project at the Carpenter's Brook
 Fish Hatchery. On week-ends they
 camped out on the grounds of the
 hatchery and worked in shifts to
 construct a dam using natural  log materials. The
 dam provides food, shelter and living space for
 the trout that inhabit the stream.
Kendal Maalea tackles
  some of the tangled
brush around Kanaha
            Pond
 How The Program Works

    The program has two components: the
 regional certificate program and the national
 awards competition. Regional certificates are
 awarded by the Regional Offices of the U.S.
 Environmental Protection Agency. The national
 award winners are selected by the Regional
 Offices and their recognition program is adminis-
 tered by EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

 Regional Certificate Program

    The sponsor must complete the attached
 application and mail it to the appropriate EPA
 Regional Office (see listing on back of brochure).
 The regional certificate program is conducted
 year-round; therefore, applications for the
 regional program can be submitted at any time.
    If a project is completed in the regional
 component of the program, all participants will
 receive certificates signed by the President of the
 United States, honoring them for their efforts in
 environmental protection

 National Awards Competition

   One outstanding project from each of the ten
EPA Regions is selected for national recognition.
   National individual project winners, or one
representative from a national award-winning
 group project, along with one project sponsor,
 will be honored by EPA Headquarters, Washing-
 ton, D.C.


 Application Procedures

    Although creativity is encouraged, applica-
 tions must conform to the following guidelines:

 • The sponsor(s) MUST sign and date the
 application.

 • The application must summarize the project in
 no less than three and no more than five 8-1 /2 by
 11 inch pages, not including supporting materi-
 als. These supporting materials may include
 mounted photographs, news clippings, and other
 supplemental items such as full texts of scientific
 papers. Typed (doubled spaced) applications are
 encouraged. Applicants should type or write only
 on one side of each sheet.
                       \
 • Applicants are strongly urged to follow the
 specific criteria that the Regional Awards Panel
 will use to evaluate applications. (See Judging
 Criteria). Because judges cannot visit projects,
 students are encouraged to include photographs,
newspaper articles, and other supporting
materials with their applications. This will help
the judging panel to gain a more comprehensive
view of a project.
                         (Continued on back page)
55
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                      • On a separate sheet of ^aper, attached to the 3-5
                      page application, list the group name (if appli-
                      cable), and the names of individuals and ad-
                      dresses of all project participants and sponsors.
                      Also list the project name if it has one. The
                      sponsor's home and work telephone numbers
                      and signature must appear on this sheet.
Additional participants of
winning projects with
EPA Administrator
Browner and
rice President Core
How To Apply

Eligibility
   To be eligible, a young person, or a group of
young persons, must have completed an environ-
mental project while in grades kindergarten
through 12, and the project must be sponsored by
at least one adult representative of their school,
camp, youth group, or public interest group.

Application Deadline
   To participate in the annual national awards
competition, projects must be completed by July
31 of the award year; applications must be mailed
to the appropriate Regional Office; and applica-
tions must be postmarked by July 31 or earlier of
the same award year. Do not mail the application
to EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
 Judging Criteria

    Each Regional Awards Panel will judge
 projects on:
 • The environmental need for the project.

 • The environmental appropriateness of the
 project.
 • The accomplishment of goals.
 • The long-term environmental benefits derived
 from the project.
 • The positive environmental impact on the local
 community and society.
 • The extent to which the project's design,      .
 coordination, and implementation was due to the;
 young person's or persons' initiative.
 • The positive ways in which other groups or
 individuals were involved to provide funds,
 resources, or publicity.
 • The soundness of approach, rationale, and
 scientific design (if applicable).
 • The clarity and effectiveness of presentation
    )

 Role  of Sponsor

    The adult sponsor plays an important role in :
 helping a young person or a group of young    ;
 people carry out their projects and apply for
 awards. Sponsors should offer suggestions and  ,
 advice on:
 • Developing a sound«approach to the project.

 "• Project implementation.

 • Working with other groups and individuals in
 the community.

' • Completing the application form(s) and
 preparing accompanying materials.
    The sponsor must be an adult and can be a
 teacher, youth group advisor, summer camp
 counselor, or community leader. Young people
 must work closely with the  sponsor(s) through-
 out the project and application procedures.
 Questions not answered by this brochure can be •
 directed to your state's EPA regional office.
                                                                       Materials submitted as an entry may be used by EPA to
                                                                       provide information about special projects.or about the
                                                                       President's Environmental Youth Awards Program.
                                                                       Printed on Recycled Paper

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 United States Environmental Protection Agency
 President's Environmental Youth Awards Application
 Name __	^___	
 Street	•         	
City	:	:	  state  	 Zip
Project: Describe project and results achieved.
Date project was started	    and ended
Did project receive press coverage?_	    If "yes", attach press clippings.
Number of certificates required	
On a separate sheet of paper, please list the name(s), addresses, ages, and grades of individuals qualifying for awards
Print or type the name(s).
Signature(s) of sponsor(s) - Must be signed by adult sponsor(s).
Name	      Name
Street 	=	_	      street
City, State, Zip	     City, State, Zip
Home and business telephone  	      Home and business telephone

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EPA Regional Offices
EPA Region 1

JFK Federal Building
Boston, MA  02203
617-565-9447 or FAX: 617-565-3415
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, Vermont

EPA Region 2

290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
212-637-3678 or FAX: 212-637-4445
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

EPA Region 3

841 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-597-6685 or FAX: 215-597-0961
Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West
Virginia, District of Columbia

EPA Region 4

345 Courtland Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30365
404-347-3004 or FAX: 404-347-3721
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

EPA Region 5

77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL  60604
312-886-0995 or FAX: 312-353-1155
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio,
Wisconsin
EPA Region 6

1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
214-655-2204 or FAX: 214-655-2118            ;
Arkansas, Louisiana, New-Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

EPA Region 7

726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101                      :
913-551-7003 or FAX: 913-552-7066            \
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

EPA Region 8

One Denver Place
999 18th Street
Denver, CO 80202-2405
303-312-6615 or FAX: 303-312-6961
Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Utah, Wyoming
EPA Region 9

75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-744-1582 or FAX: 415-744-1605
Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American
Samoa, Guam,  Commonwealth of Northern Mariana
Islands

EPA Region 10

1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-1207 or 1-800-424-4EPA             '_
FAX:  206-553-0149
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

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