EPA’s President’s Environmental Youth Award Program
Your project - or one you are sponsoring - could be an award winner. Encourage one or more students you know to apply for a President’s Environmental Youth Award and see what a difference they can make for the environment with an award-winning project. Applicants from all 50 states and U.S. territories are eligible to compete for an award for special recognition and a presidential plaque. The application deadline is December 31, 2014.
The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize young people across the U.S. for protecting our nation’s air, water, land, and ecology. It is one of the most important ways EPA and the Administration demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship efforts created and conducted by our nation’s young people.
One outstanding project from each region is selected for national recognition. Projects are developed by young individuals, school classes (K–12), summer camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental stewardship. Thousands of young people from all 50 states and the U.S. territories have submitted projects to EPA for consideration. Winning projects in the past have covered a wide range of subject areas, including:
- environmental science projects
- recycling programs in schools and communities
- construction of nature preserves
- major tree planting programs
- videos, skits, and newsletters that focused on environmental issues
Evaluation results consistently demonstrate that the experience is frequently a life-changing event for many of the young people and sponsors who participate.