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Virginia Beach Students Win President’s Environmental Award

Release Date: 4/10/2000
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith (215) 814-5543

Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Students from Kemps Landing Magnet School in Virginia Beach, Virginia will be honored at a White House ceremony for their project - - Student Power - - focusing on the Elizabeth River.

The representative from Kemps Landing Magnet School will be joined by student leaders from nine other communities across the U.S. to receive the President’s Environmental Youth Awards at the White House ceremony on Wednesday, April 12.

"We are proud that the Kemps Landing students won the award this year. EPA has presented these awards annually since 1971 to honor outstanding projects created by students to clean up communities and promote local environmental awareness," said Bradley Campbell, mid-Atlantic regional administrator.

The Elizabeth River Project involved 98 eighth grade students in explorers teams. Each groups had a special focus: teaching elementary students at a school near the river; creating a manual about the river and water testing; practicing water tests and training elementary students how to do them; and hosting a community event, Elizabeth River Day, to increase community awareness.

The students chose the project because they realized they could help to try to improve the Elizabeth’s water quality by monitoring it and sharing that data. The Elizabeth River flows through Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk and Portsmouth.

Note to reporters: For more information about attending the award ceremony, please contact Tanya Meekins at EPA’s headquarters press office at 202-260-1387.


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