Virginia Student among EPA's 2021 President's Student and Teacher Environmental Awards Winners
PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 13, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored the Mid-Atlantic recipients of the 2021 Presidential Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) in a virtual ceremony on Microsoft Teams Thursday afternoon. Virginia third grader Sanuthi Henkanaththegedara is the kindergarten through sixth grade PEYA recipient for her Lake Barga Biodiversity Project.
For her project, Sanuthi documented what happened at one of the nine ponds in the Albright Scout Reservation in Chesterfield, Va. She explored many habitats, plants and animals that are native to the area. She in turn was able to educate members of her Cub Scout troop and their families about the biodiversity at the lake.
“I enjoyed having an opportunity to learn about science outside of the classroom and take what I learned to share with others,” said award recipient Miss Sanuthi. “Science is exciting and fun. From this project, I am now interested in learning more.”
“The ingenuity displayed by these young people even in a pandemic gives us hope for our environmental future,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. Projects like this highlight the need for science in our classrooms and prepares the next generation to find solutions to many of our environmental challenges.”
“Certainly, Miss. Sanuthi rose above the crowd to excel in her focus and devotion to her passion for investing and exploring nature,” said Tom McKee, PhD, project mentor. “Her keen awareness of her surroundings as she walked through Lake Barga was something to behold.”
The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees and youth organizations to promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.
Thirty-two students who worked as a team or individually on 16 projects received the President’s Environmental Youth Award; 14 students received honorable mentions. Their stewardship projects, conducted in 2020, display a commitment to participating in creative sustainability efforts, restoring native habitats, and installing renewable energy projects.
In addition to the PEYA awards, the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) was given. This award was established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act and seeks to recognize, support, and bring public attention to the outstanding environmental projects performed by teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning in K-12 education. CEQ, in partnership with EPA, administers this award.
From across the country, 15 educators and 32 students were recognized for their leadership and commitment to environmental education and environmental stewardship.
Students and teachers were honored in a virtual ceremony last month hosted by EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
To read about the winning projects in detail, visit: www.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award-peya-winners and www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators