All News Releases By Date

 

CHILDREN’S ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION ENCOURAGED BY EPA; WHITMAN LAUNCHES PEN PAL PROGRAM WITH STUDENTS IN TEXAS AND MASSACHUSETTS

Release Date: 10/04/2001
Contact Information:

Also available in Spanish: "COMUNICACIÓN ENTRE NIÑOS SOBRE EL MEDIO AMBIENTE ALENTADO
POR LA ADMINISTRADORA WHITMAN PARA INICIAR EL NUEVO PROGRAMA DE AMIGOS POR CORRESPONDENCIA CON ESTUDIANTES EN TEXAS Y MASSACHUSETTS"

Environmental News



Today, as part of EPA’s Children’s Health Month activities, Administrator Christie Whitman joined a fourth grade class at Vilas Elementary in El Paso, Texas, to kick off a new EPA program encouraging children to learn more about protecting the environment by collaborating with other students across the nation and around the world.

“EPA’s pen pal program will allow students in many different geographic locations to benefit from each other’s thoughts and research,” said Whitman. “By working cooperatively students can learn about different areas of the country, share ideas for projects and discover information about the environment. Children are a valuable resource as they are often the best advocates. By helping children expand their knowledge about the environment we all benefit from their increased understanding of the world around them.”

Whitman launched the program with fourth graders in Ms. Mitchell’s class at Vilas Elementary School in El Paso Texas, who e-mailed sixth graders in Ms. Burnham’s and Mrs. Farley’s class at Medway Middle School in Medway, Mass.

The “Environmental Pen Pal Partners” program requires a commitment from each classroom to research information and to share its findings with a partner classroom every two weeks either electronically or by mail. Pen pals offer students an opportunity to collaborate on an environmental concern of mutual interest and may begin with an understanding of the geographic areas in which the children live. These could include weather, climate, flora and fauna. Classes may share information on environmental issues or collaborate on a project.

Partner classes will receive the latest information about environmental issues, resources and events through “Pen Pals e-News,” distributed electronically. Each class will have access to an EPA volunteer mentor to guide and advise the class in its studies and answer students’ questions. The mentor will help teachers and students find resources through EPA and other federal partner Web sites. Mentors will also make suggestions on topics that can be integrated into the collaborative sessions and provide background information on such topics. This program is one example of EPA’s commitment to environmental education. It also helps students exercise and develop skills evaluated by several academic skills tests.

Vilas Elementary and Medway Middle School are the first school partners in the program. More information about the program and registration is available at: www.epa.gov/region6/penpals.

R-178 # # #