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EPA Honors Students at Earth Day Enviro-Fair for Outstanding Environmental Projects

Release Date: 4/22/1998
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given special recognition to three youth projects selected as regional winners in the 1997 President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) competition. Acting Regional Administrator Jerry Clifford presented plaques to the students and their sponsors who traveled to Dallas from Harlingen and Pollok, Texas, and from Corning, Arkansas.

"I'm pleased to award these special plaques at this Earth Day celebration event. These young people deserve special recognition for their extraordinary commitment and hard work to make and keep the environment cleaner, safer, and healthier. EPA sponsors the PEYA program to encourage young people to become an environmental force in their communities through this kind of involvement," said Mr. Clifford.

The regional winner from Harlingen, Texas, is the Color Cats Recycle Club from Austin Elementary School for their project titled "Every Day is Earth Day." The fifth grade students got the entire community involved in their efforts to collect more than a ton of recyclable trash and, in the process, to educate adults about recycling.

The Park Elementary School in Corning, Arkansas, was selected as a regional winner for their recycling project titled, "Park Elementary Kids...CAN...Make A Difference!" As a result of their efforts, the city of Corning significantly reduced the amount of garbage going to local and regional landfills.

The third regional PEYA winner is the Central Independent School District Outdoor Learning Facility in Pollok, Texas, is third runner-up. Students planned and constructed an outdoor classroom on three-and-a-half acres which serves as an ecosystem laboratory for grades K-12.

EPA has sponsored the PEYA competition for regional and national winners since 1971. Ten national PEYA winners are selected each year, one representing each of EPA's ten geographical Regions. In Region 6, the 1997 national winner was the seventh grade science class at Gadsden Middle School in Anthony, New Mexico. A student representing the winning project called "Cottonwood Covey" and the project sponsor participated in a White House ceremony in February. The Vice President and EPA Administrator Carol Browner presented the plaques and congratulated the winners.

PEYA provides Presidential Certificates of Recognition to all qualifying participants in grades K-12. To receive an application, contact Pat Baker, at USEPA, 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200-6XA, Dallas, Texas, 75202-2733, or call (800) 887-6063.