President's Environmental Youth Award

Your student's project could be an award winner! Encourage your students with an existing environmental stewardship project or an idea for a project to apply so that their achievements can be further recognized. Applicants from all 50 states as well as U.S. territories are eligible to compete for a national Presidential award.

On this page:

History and basic information
How the program works
How to apply
Judging criteria
Recognition of winners
Project Sponsors
Frequently Asked Questions

History and Basic Information about the President's Environmental Youth Award

The President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects developed by K-12 youth. The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation's natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with EPA to recognize young people for protecting our nation's air, water, land, and ecology. It is one of the most important ways EPA and the Administration demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship efforts created and conducted by our nation's youth.

Each year the PEYA program honors a wide variety of projects developed by young students, school classes and clubs, youth camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental awareness and action in schools and communities. Thousands of young people from all 50 states and the U.S. territories have submitted projects to EPA for consideration. Winning projects in the past have demonstrated impact in schools and communities in a wide range of subject areas. Participation in the PEYA program is frequently a life-changing experience for many of the young people and their project sponsors.

How the Program Works

PEYA applicants compete in two award categories — Grades K-5 and Grades 6-12 — each with distinct evaluation criteria.

PEYA winner taking a sample for a project

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ten regional offices across the country. The PEYA awards panel may select up to one winner in each age group, based on the evaluation criteria in Section 6. Applicants are welcome to include youth across multiple grade levels; however, the application will be categorized based on the applicant with the highest grade level. For example, if one applicant group consists of two 4^th graders, one 3^rd grader and one 6^th grader, the application will be evaluated in the Grade 6-12 category.

Each award-winning project will receive a Presidential plaque. The sponsors of all qualified, non-winning applicants will receive EPA acknowledgement of the applicant's efforts to protect human health and the environment.

How to Apply for the National Award Program

Step 1: Confirm Competition Eligibility

Project is completed while the applicant(s) is in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Applicant(s) is a citizen of the United States or its territories or has been lawfully admitted for permanent residency. Applicant also resides in a U.S. state, territory, or tribal land.
Project is sponsored by at least one adult 21 years of age or older. See below for more information regarding sponsors.
Project started during the 2024 calendar year and had activity during the 2024 calendar year. A project initiated prior to 2024 is also eligible for consideration as long as the project had activity during the 2024 calendar year.
Project must include an environmental stewardship component as defined below.

Step 2: How to Apply

Application period is OPEN from October 15, 2024 to January 15, 2025.

Each applicant or team of applicants applying for PEYA must be represented by at least one sponsor who submits the application to EPA and serves as EPA’s point of contact for the application. The application form and all application materials should be typed, but there are no defined font or spacing requirements as long as materials are legible.

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION: Download the PEYA Application Guide (pdf) (494.41 KB) and PEYA Application Form (pdf) (347.93 KB) .
CONFIRM ELIGIBILITY: Applicant sponsor/co-sponsor confirms that applicants meet all eligibility requirements by completing the Eligibility Self-Screen Checklist located in the application guide.
PREPARE APPLICATION FORM: Applicant sponsor/co-sponsor completes pages 1-4 of the PEYA Application Form. Applicant sponsor/co-sponsor supports grade 6-12 applicants by gathering project information written by the applicants. Applicant sponsor/co-sponsor supports grade K-5 applicants by helping the applicants to write and gather project information. Excess pages submitted beyond the limits stated below will not be considered. Carefully consider inclusion of web links that clearly support the project description and/or supplementary information in conveying how the project achieved applicable review criteria as reviewers will not click on more than 5-6 web links per application. Note also that we cannot accept links to file share drives or social media accounts.
1. PROJECT TITLE: Identify the name of the project title on the Application Form. Please ensure that the project title is accurate as the project title will be used in program materials, including plaques, certificates, and letters of acknowledgement. The project title cannot be changed after application submission.
2. APPLICANTS BY NAME AND GRADE LEVEL: The sponsor/co-sponsor(s) are responsible for identifying the name and grade level of each applicant. It is very important that the applicant names are accurate as the names provided on the application form will be inscribed on all materials, including certificates, letters of acknowledgement award plaques, and in program materials. Applicant names cannot be changed after application submission.
3. PROJECT SUMMARY: The Project Summary, up to 300 words, is intended to describe the project’s purpose and goals and identify the results achieved. Space for the Project Summary is provided on page 4 of the Application Form.
4. DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Grade 6-12 applicants are required to provide a more detailed description of the project preferably organized by each of the evaluation criteria in Section 6: How Applicants are Judged. Grade K-5 applicants are encouraged to have written, with the assistance of the sponsor/co-sponsor(s), a description of the project. The Project Description must be no more than 5 pages or 5 slides.
5. SUPPORTING MATERIALS: Applicants may submit up to 5 additional pages of optional supporting materials; for example, photographs, newspaper articles, or other information to provide a more comprehensive view of the project. Accompanying videos may be submitted, although applicants must provide a web link to where the videos can be viewed online. Please DO NOT send video files by email; video files sent by email will not be reviewed.
SIGN AND DATE APPLICATION: Sponsor/co-sponsor must sign and date page 4 of the PEYA Application Form. Signatures must be electronic; typing in the sponsor’s name does not fulfill the application requirements. Page 4 of the PEYA Application Form can be submitted as a separate file if needed.
COLLECT PARENT-SIGNED FORMS: Sponsor/co-sponsor collects signed and dated Consent for PEYA Student Works Forms and the PEYA Permission Form from each applicant’s parent/guardian. Please review the forms carefully to ensure that signatures by the parent/adult are electronic. Typing in the parent/adult’s name does not fulfill the application requirements.
COMPLETE THE PRE-SUBMISSION CHECKLIST: Sponsor/co-sponsor completes the pre-submission checklist.
SUBMIT THE APPLICATION BY JANUARY 15, 2025: See instructions below for submitting an application.

Step 3: Submit the Application

To protect the online privacy of student applicants, applicant sponsor/co-sponsor gathers and submits application materials.
Application materials are submitted electronically (email) by sponsors.

Judging Criteria

Applications determined eligible and complete are evaluated by a PEYA awards panel. The panel members review and evaluate each application based on the criteria. There are separate evaluation criteria for K-5 and 6-12 applications. A maximum of 100 points can be awarded to a given application.

Evaluation criteria for PEYA applications from K-5th grade students
Evaluation Criteria	Points
Youth-Driven Initiative: How did the applicant(s) come up with the idea for the project? How did the K-5 youth applicants take ownership of the project from the creation and supporting implementation of the project?	15 points
*Environmental Stewardship and Impact:** How did the project demonstrate and address environmental stewardship? How did the applicant(s) identify the environmental need for this project? What were the short- or long-term environmental benefits or outcomes of the project? What is the status of this project; is it completed or in-progress? If in-progress, please share completed components and ongoing efforts.	30 points
Achieving Project Goals: Winning projects may address environmental stewardship* in a variety of areas. How did the project specifically address environmental stewardship in one or more of the focus areas of the competition, which are: Agricultural practices; Climate change; Environmental justice; Food waste; Lead in drinking water; Recycling; School garden; Sustainability; Using STEM in environmental education; Water infrastructure; Water quality and/or litter within waterways. If the project did not address one or more of the above competition focus areas, how did the project address environmental stewardship related to one or more other areas? Is evidence provided to demonstrate that the project achieved the goals in relation to the environmental stewardship* focus area indicated (example: descriptions, images, videos, student work, etc.)?	15 points
*Community Involvement:* To what extent did the project involve others in the school or community? Please describe how others were engaged in the project initiative(s).	15 points
*Project Creativity and/or Innovation:* How did the applicant(s) use creative and/or innovative approaches for the project?	15 points
Project Approach: To what extent does the application tell a complete and detailed story about the project? Did the applicant(s) show evidence of having a thought-out approach to solving the problem based on research, observations and/or discussion with the school/community?	10 points
Total	100 points

Evaluation criteria for PEYA applications from 6th-12th grade students
Evaluation Criteria	Points
Youth-Driven Initiative: How did the applicant support and give justification behind why they developed their project? To what extent did the project demonstrate a direct connection to the applicant’s initiative(s)? How did the 6-12 youth applicants take ownership in the project from creation, leading, and driving implementation of the project? The driving force for the project must be the applicant(s), not the sponsor/co-sponsor.	15 points
Environmental Need and Appropriateness: How did the applicant(s) identify the environmental need for this project? How did the project demonstrate and address a clear environmental need? Did the project demonstrate appropriateness and thoughtful consideration for the community in which it was performed	20 points
*Environmental Stewardship and Impact:** How did the project demonstrate and address environmental stewardship? What were the short- or long-term environmental benefits or outcomes of the project? What is the status of this project; is it completed or in-progress? If in-progress, please share completed components and ongoing efforts.	15 points
Achieving Project Goals: Winning projects may address environmental stewardship in a variety of areas. How did the project specifically address environmental stewardship in one or more of the focus areas of the competition, which are: Agricultural practices; Climate change; Environmental justice; Food waste Lead in drinking water Recycling School Garden Sustainability Using STEM in environmental education. Water infrastructure; Water quality and/or litter within waterways If the project did not address one or more of the above competition focus areas, how did the project address environmental stewardship relate to one or more other areas? Is evidence provided to demonstrate that the project achieved the goals in relation to the environmental stewardship focus area indicated (example: descriptions, images, videos, student work, etc.)?	15 points
Community Involvement: To what extent did the project positively involve others in the community? Please describe how others were engaged in the project initiative(s). What community resources, expertise, leadership, or publicity did the applicant(s) use?	15 points
Project Creativity and Innovation: How did the applicant(s) use creative and/or innovative approaches for the project?	10 points
Soundness of Approach, Rationale, and Scientific Design: Does the project application demonstrate a clear problem, sound justification for selected initiative, and approach for addressing environmental topic? If so, please describe. Did the applicant(s) show evidence of having a thought-out approach to solving the problem based on research, observations and/or discussion with the school/community? Please note that project activities should highlight environmental stewardship* and community involvement. Individual research projects that do not include a focus on environmental stewardship nor involvement of others are not likely to meet the evaluation criteria	10 points
Total	100 points

*Definition: “Environmental Stewardship” is voluntary commitment, behavior, and action that results in environmental protection or improvement, or conservation of our natural resources. Stewardship refers to an acceptance of personal responsibility for actions to improve environmental quality and to achieve conservation outcomes. Stewardship involves lifestyles and business practices, initiatives and actions that enhance the state of the environment and natural resources. Some examples are:

living or conducting business in such a way as to minimize or eliminate pollution at its source;
using natural resources efficiently;
decreasing the use of hazardous chemicals;
recycling wastes effectively; and
conserving or restoring soil, forests, prairies, wetlands, rivers, and parks.

Stewardship can be practiced by individuals, groups, schools, organizations, companies, communities, and state and local governments.

PEYA winner leading a habitat restoration project

Recognition of Winners

Each year, EPA gives a Presidential plaque to the national award winners. Awardees will also be invited to a ceremony in which the awards are distributed to the winning projects.

Read about current and past PEYA winners.

Project Sponsors

Each applicant or group of applicants applying for PEYA must be represented by at least one sponsor who is a teacher or other education professional. An exception to this rule can be made for home-schooled applicants with no interaction with formal educators or youth development clubs, in which case the teacher sponsor can be a parent.

Typically, sponsors/co-sponsors are individuals who have offered advice and guidance throughout the project to:

Support the student(s) in developing a well-thought-out project.
Aid the student(s) in project implementation.
Foster work between other groups and individuals in the community and the student(s). sponsors/co-sponsors.
Certify that the project was completed by all student(s) by signing and dating the PEYA Application Form.
Gather forms and other application materials and submit the application to EPA.
Serve as the primary point of contact for EPA correspondence regarding the application.

For K-5 applicants, sponsors/co-sponsors also typically complete the application form and assist in preparing the project detailed description and any supporting information. Questions about the roles of teacher(s) or sponsor/co-sponsor(s) should be directed to PEYA@epa.gov.

Please note: Sponsors/co-sponsors are responsible for managing all correspondence with EPA including application submission, submitting questions, and all other communication. To protect the online privacy of student applicants, EPA will not respond to inquiries submitted by student applicants. All communications must be sent by the adult sponsors/co-sponsors

Resources for Sponsors

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the teacher / primary sponsor need to be a teacher from the applicant's school?

The teacher sponsor can be any educational professional who can certify the project was completed by the student(s) and who may be or have been involved with the project. Educational professionals can be formal educators but also informal educators such as scout leaders, camp counselors, youth club leaders, tutors, etc. For home-schooled applicants with no interaction with formal educators or youth development clubs, the teacher sponsor can be a parent.

Does an application need to have a co-sponsor?

An application does not need to have a co-sponsor. However, the application's primary sponsor should be a teacher or other education professional unless the student is home-schooled and has no interaction with any formal educators or youth development leaders who can certify the project.

What is the role of a co-sponsor?

A co-sponsor is typically another teacher or informal educator or may be someone in the community who has provided guidance on the project. A co-sponsor supports the primary sponsor in gathering and/or preparing application materials and application correspondence.

Can a team consist of students from multiple schools?

A team can consist of students from multiple schools. However, one school and one teacher sponsor from that school should serve as the "lead" school for the application, or the primary sponsor is an informal educator such as a scout leader.

Is there a team size limit?

There is no defined team size limit. However, because all applicants under 18 at the time of application need two forms signed by a parent or guardian, we recommend that careful consideration be given to the effort required to collect and submit these forms. Large teams may choose to list as applicants the student(s) who led the project and, if selected as the winner, other students are invited as their guests.

I live in one state, but my project took place in another. Which EPA Region will review my application?

Applicants compete by the EPA Region which covers their U.S. state or territory of residence. So, it is important that the applicant's U.S. state or territory of residence is clear in either the application form or from the project description.

Who will receive updates about an application's progress?

A confirmation email will be sent when the application is received. All correspondence will be addressed to the sponsor(s) named in the application. In the event a student or other person not indicated as a sponsor submits the application, future correspondence will regardless be with the sponsor(s) named in the application. When inquiring about an application, please indicate the project name in the subject line and not student name(s).

How are awards distributed?

Awards, which include plaques and certificates, are distributed to the winning students at an awards ceremony held during the summer. If students will not be present at the award ceremony, awards are mailed to the primary sponsor indicated on the application. This is typically the teacher sponsor. For this reason, it is critical to have an accurate mailing address for the primary sponsor.

Are there any tips for submitting application files?

Name key application files using a combination of project name and also what the file is (application form, detailed description, supplementary information). When submitting an application, indicate the project name in the subject line and not student name(s). For applications with numerous files, such as team applications with numerous parent forms, we recommend listing attachments in the body of the email to ensure all were received. Parent forms: If submitting multiple forms as separate files, indicate whether permission slip or media release form or both and also name file using student initials and project name. Please ensure that parent forms name the student, print the parent name, and are dated.

Additional questions about the program should be sent to peya@epa.gov.