Teachers and students honored by White House and EPA for environmental work

Twenty-seven teachers and 44 students from across the country won awards for their work promoting environmental education and stewardship, which were presented by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during a ceremony today.

The K-12 teachers earned the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE), while the students received President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) during a ceremony at the White House. 

“To solve our future environmental challenges, young people need to understand the science behind the natural world – and create a personal connection to the outdoors,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said. “These teachers and students are demonstrating the important role of environmental education, and showing how individual actions can help address climate change, protect the air we breathe and safeguard the water we drink.”

PIAEE winners, who created innovative, hands-on ways to promote interest in the environment, were also eligible for the National Environmental Education Foundation’s 2015 Bartlett Award. Student PEYA winners were selected based on environmental projects they undertook, covering everything from arsenic contamination in groundwater to sea turtle conservation and converting plant waste into combustible fuel blocks.