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Jeffco Open School receives the 2001 President's Environmental Youth Award

Release Date: 4/9/2002
Contact Information:
303 312-6605,

Release Date: 4/9/2002
Contact Information:
303 312-6613,

Release Date: 4/9/2002
Contact Information:
303 312-7814

Denver -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will recognize Jefferson County Open School of Lakewood, CO for receiving the 2001 President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). On April 17th, teacher and sponsor Judith Miller Smith and student Cassandra Kelly will be traveling with EPA's Assistant Environmental Education Coordinator Jan Osborne to Washington D.C, for the 17th annual ceremony for all regional PEYA award recipients. President Bush is expected to present the award.

Smith and her 7th and 8th grade students executed the "Save the Dawgs!" campaign to learn and educate others on the status of the Front Range's black-tailed prairie dogs. Their efforts spared part of a prairie dog colony at the Denver Federal Center and taught students important lessons in biology, environmental science, public speaking, communication and the political process.

The PEYA program encourages kids to learn about their environment and create strategies for improving their community's public and environmental health. Projects compete regionally and nationally and are judged by the EPA Environmental Education program on a variety of criteria.

For information about the PEYA program, contact Jan Osborne at 303 312-6613 or by email: [email protected].

For information about the "Save the Dawgs" program contact Judith Miller Smith at 303 982-7045.