. Children's Environmental Health Awards Children's Environmental Health Awards Apply on or before December 15th, 2004 ------- E| The Office of Children s Health Protection at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is pleased to announce the First Annual Children's Environmental Health Awards. These awards are designed to increase awareness, stimulate activity, and recognize efforts that protect children from environmental health risks at the local, regional, national, and international level. Children's Environmental Health Awards Children may be more susceptible to environmental hazards than adults. Their nervous, immune, digestive, and other systems are still developing and their ability to metabolize or inactivate toxicants may be different than adults. They eat more food, drink more fluids, and breathe more air in proportion to their weight than adults, and their behavior—such as crawling and placing objects in their mouths—may result in greater exposure to environmental contaminants. Environmental health hazards that may affect children include: (1) air pollutants, both indoor and ambient; (2) toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, organochlorines such as polychlorinated biphenyls, and dioxins; (3) endocrine disrupters; (4) environmental tobacco smoke; (5) ultraviolet radiation; (6) water pollution; (7) pesticides; (8) brominated flame retardants; (9) radon; and (10) carbon monoxide. Many environmental health problems can be prevented, managed, and treated. EPA encourages communities, citizens, and organizations to become leaders in protecting our children from environmental health hazards. Award Levels Level 1 Recognition Award Recognition awards are designed for groups or individuals who have demonstrated a level of commitment to protect children from environmental risks. Applicants must show that they have initiated outreach, education, or intervention activities. Winners will receive a certificate of recognition signed by the Director of EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection and use of the children's environmental health awards logo. Who Should Apply? Individuals, communities, non-profit organizations, schools and universities, and governmental agencies. Level 2 Excellence Award Excellence awards are designed to recognize applicants who have demonstrated leadership and a track record in the protection of children from environmental health risks. Outreach, education, and intervention projects or programs must have been in place for at least 6 months. Applications will be judged based on innovation, effectiveness, ability to measure success, and replication potential. Ten to twenty award winners will be invited to an awards ceremony in Washington, DC in March 2005, where they will receive a plaque. They will also receive use of the children's environmental health awards logo, recognition on EPA's Web site and in a press release, and photos with a senior EPA official. Who Should Apply? Individuals, communities, non-profit organizations, schools and universities, governmental agencies, and businesses. ------- Award Activity Descriptions Outrea.Cn. Outreach efforts increase public awareness about children's environmental health issues. Projects may include public awareness campaigns, public service announcements, and events to highlight the importance of protecting children from environmental health risks. Education. EPA will recognize projects or programs that teach the public about the relationship between their environment and children's health. Education efforts may include instruction on how to improve the environment in order to protect children's health, prevent or reduce exposure to harmful environmental agents, or manage environmentally-related illness. Intervention. Intervention programs are designed to improve the environment, prevent or reduce exposure to environ- mental contaminants, or improve the environmental health of children. Programs may include implementing policies that protect chil- dren from environmental risks, voluntary efforts, or taking any other action that directly reduces environmental health risks to children. Application Instructions Description! On a separate sheet of paper, please describe your program and how it has helped protect children from environmental health risks (no more than 250 words if applying for a recognition award, or 750 words if applying for an excellence award). You may also provide supporting materials (photos, brochures, posters, etc.) with your application. Recognition Award applicants may address the following in your program description: • Discuss how your project/program protects children from environmental health risks. • Discuss how your organization focuses its efforts on children's environmental health protection and/or how children's environmental health fits into other efforts in your organization. • Discuss any unique and innovative aspects of your project/program. In addition, Excellence Award applicants MUST address the following in your program description: • Discuss how your project can be replicated in the future to reach a wider audience. • Discuss how your outreach, education or intervention activities have improved children's environmental health. Discuss the results of your efforts and the mechanism by which you measure success. References! Please submit two letters from individuals or groups outside your immediate organization discussing your efforts to protect children from environmental health risks. :±OW To Apply! Mail or fax 3 copies of the application to the following address: ICF Consulting, Inc. Attn: McKaye Hudson 1725 Eye Street, NW Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20006 Tel: 202-862-1224 Fax:202-862-1144 'Application must be postmarked on or before December 15th, 2004 to be considered. ------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 2004 Children's Environmental Health Awards AWARD APPLICATION FORM Award Categoric SI Please indicate below for which award you wish to be considered (see program description for a narrative of each award). Recognition Award Outreach Education Intervention Excellence Award Outreach Education Intervention Children's Environmental Health Awards Contact Information: Please provide the following required information. Use this page as a cover sheet and attach a copy to each application submission Name and Brief Description of Organization Name of Project or Program. Web Site Address Contact Name Street Address (Include suite/room number/mail code) City Phone (including area code and extension) Title E-mail Address State . Zip Code. Fax ------- |