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EPA Administrator Wheeler and White House CEQ Chairman Neumayr Honor over 200 U.S. Teachers and Students at Presidential Environmental Youth Awards Ceremony

Contact Information: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON (July 25, 2019) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and White House Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chairman Mary Neumayr announced the 2019 awardees of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) and the President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) during an awards ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.

"The Presidential Environmental Education Awards Ceremony is a day I look forward to each year because it is a time when we honor some of the best and brightest in environmental education and stewardship," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "This year, CEQ Chairman Mary Neumayr joined me in celebrating our 200 student and teacher winners who represent excellence in environmental protection. Congratulations and thank you to all our winners for their dedication to protecting human health and the environment."

"It was a pleasure to join Administrator Wheeler today as we recognized the achievements of students and teachers from across the country who are promoting environmental stewardship and furthering environmental education in their communities and schools," said CEQ Chairman Neumayr. "These students are our nation's next generation of leaders and are doing outstanding work."

From across the country, 19 educators and 200 students were recognized for their remarkable efforts that promote environmental education and stewardship. Eleven educators received the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, and eight educators were recognized with an honorable mention distinction. Additionally, the 200 student award recipients - who worked as a team or individually on 17 projects - received the President's Environmental Youth Award. Altogether, EPA received 162 project applications from 26 states.

Teacher and student awardees presented their projects at a poster session for attendees and EPA leadership, and EPA program offices hosted the "EPA Student Information Fair," during which students and teachers interacted with staff to learn more about the agency's work.

Established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, the PEYA program promotes local environmental awareness among our nation's youth and encourages positive community involvement. EPA Headquarters works with staff located in EPA's 10 regional offices in the selection of award recipients across the country.

Also established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, PIAEE supports, encourages and nationally honors outstanding kindergarten through high school educators who integrate environmental and place-based, experiential learning into school curricula and school facility management across the country. Under the act, the White House CEQ assists EPA in administering the awards program.

The PIAEE program seeks to recognize, support and bring public attention to the outstanding environmental projects performed by these innovative teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning. The program recognizes up to 20 elementary and secondary (K-12) education teachers, school administrators, and their local education agencies and provides funding to help support those educators in their environmental education work.

PIAEE Winners:

Region 2

Aaron Baker

High Point Regional High School

Sussex, New Jersey

AnnMarie Mills

Islip Middle School

Islip, New York

Region 3

Brittany L. Bauer

Wyoming County East High School

New Richmond, West Virginia

Jared Fritzinger

Old Donation School

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Region 4

Nancy Platt

James B. Edwards Elementary School

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Carrie Settles Livers

Brookwood High School

Snellville, Georgia

Region 5

Jennifer A. Heyer

Cedar Ridge Elementary School

Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Region 6

Ryan D. Beeler

Spring Woods High School

Houston, Texas

Region 8



Amy R. Williams

Polson Middle School

Polson, Montana

Region 9

Jacqueline Omania

Oxford Elementary School

Berkeley, California

Region 10

Anne K. McHugh

Franklin High School

Portland, Oregon

The following teachers were recognized as PIAEE honorable mention recipients:

Region 3



Matthew Sturdivant

Odyssey Charter School

Wilmington, Delaware

Region 4

Missy Eason

Pine Grove Elementary School

Valdosta, Georgia

Elaine Fiore

Beachside Montessori Village

Hollywood, Florida

Region 6

Isabel Anaya

Charles L. Kuentz, Jr. Elementary School

Helotes, Texas

Allison Adkinson

Tarver-Rendon Elementary School

Burleson, Texas

Region 8

Caitlin Webb

Dixon School

Dixon, Montana

Region 9

Rachna Nath

Arizona College Preparatory - Erie Campus

Chandler, Arizona

Kelly Porter

Edison High School

Huntington Beach, California

Learn more about the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) Winners

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PEYA Winners:

Region 1

Award Category: Grade 6-12

Generation Growers

Team Members: Ava, Ella, Lila, Claire, Amelia, Madeleine, Beckett, Teaghan, Colby, Isabelle, Teddy, Lydia, Michael, Keigan, Annie, Carina, Emma, Sinead, Evan, Spencer, Lucy, Addison, Joey, Melanie, Gabby, Stella, Brooke, Ellie, Natalie, Olivia, and Nell

Massachusetts

Region 2



Award Category: Grade 6-12

Light and Hope for Puerto Rico

by Salvador

Puerto Rico

Region 3

Award Category: Grade 6-12

Friends of the Earth

Team Members: Sebastian, Hannaha, Destany, Zoe, Myranda, Emily, Hailey, Taylor, David, Nathan, Hailey, Brenda, Amy, Angela, and Bryce

West Virginia

Region 4

Award Category: Grade K-5

Bobcat Up! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Team Members: Ben, Kayla, Eva, Gabriela, and Sabrina

Florida

Award Category: Grade 6-12

The Fishes Wishes

by Ryan

Florida

Region 5

Award Category: Grade K-5

Recycling Trailblazer by Lane

Ohio

Award Category: Grade 6-12

Aquatic Robotics/Invasive Species Education

Team Members: Robert, Zakari, Brooklyn, James, Jack, Arnold, Ernest, Kevin, Carly, and Kirby

Minnesota

Region 6

Award Category: Grade K-5

Harveyville Recycling Team

Team Members: Ahmad, Reyna, Marley, Jayleen, Jamie, Sophia, Evelyn, Aiden, Mario, Zevin, Kaitlyn, and Estrella

Texas

Award Category: Grade 6-12

Northern Bobwhite Quail Reintroduction Project by Trevor

Texas

Region 7

Award Category: Grade K-5

Getting Markers Out of Landfills by Joslyn

Nebraska

Award Category: Grade 6-12

Pollinator Paradise

Team Members: Drake, Evan, Zachary, Peyton, Abigail, Riley, Katherine, Wyatt, Carlei, Elaine, Lucas, Makayla, Calvin, Zoe, Grant, Lindy, Alexander, Elijah, Zachariah, Carson, Evan, Madison, Cohen, Katie, Alexandria, Haley, Josephine, Joseph, Cale, Rose, William, Chase, Eliana, Peyton, Ashton, Alexander, James, Gwendolyn, Gavin, Caiden, Colby, Jack, Elsa, Jane, James, Hope, Liam, Landry, Sawyer, Sierra, Katelyn, Jackson, Karter, William, Bryson, Alex, Will, Henry, Audri, Abigail, Isaac, Dakota, Jillian, Vincent, Lilian, Landon, Kyah, Joshua, Hallie, Henry, Noah, Cohen, Emma, Gage, Cason, Liliana, Caiden, Kalie, Gracie, Annabelle, Mason, and Connor

Missouri

Region 8

Award Category: Grade K-5

Green Team Superheroes

Team Members: Aiden, Brady, Henry, Jackson, Alyssa, Madison, Annikah, Reagan, Samuel, Campbell, Julianne, Dillon, Genevieve

Colorado

Award Category: Grade 6-12

Development of a Novel Tool for Monitoring Soil Health and Contamination by Kylan

Colorado

Region 9

Award Category: Grade K-5

Whalemanji: Welcome to the Ocean - an integrated project to help support the Humpback Whale

Team Members: Electra, Luke, Rocco, Robert, Tej, Kinsey, Samantha, Kadence, Emilia, Luc, Isabelle, Izaak, Madison, Cisco, Cavan, Elyse, and Nash

California

Award Category: Grade 6-12

The Healthy Freedom Campaign

Team Members: Lila, Zion, Felix, Kohana, and Nikita

California

Region 10

Award Category: Grade K-5

Worm Soup and Growing Green

Team Members: Kamryn, Samantha, Aaron, and Emelyn

Washington

Award Category: Grade 6-12

Restoration and Preservation of Deer Creek in the Aftermath of the Beaver Creek Fire by Hunter

Idaho

Learn more about the President's Environmental Youth Award

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