EPA Recognizes Ohio Educator with 2022 Presidential Innovation Award
CHICAGO (July 7, 2022) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, has awarded the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators to Amy Boros, a teacher at Hull Prairie Intermediate School in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Ms. Boros was a charter member of Project PRAIRIE, an initiative of the Toledo Zoo to use urban prairies as living labs. She encourages students to take charge of their own learning by gathering data on local species and monitoring local populations through participatory science projects, such as Bumble Bee Watch and Monarch Watch.
“Children are naturally curious and the environment around us harbors so much diversity and opportunity for discovery,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “These awards recognize enterprise and leadership – in the classroom and outside its walls. We celebrate these teachers’ environmental stewardship.”
"I am extremely honored to receive this prestigious award for environmental education,” said Amy Boros, awardee. “Introducing students to environmental awareness and conservation while teaching them how they can make a difference is very rewarding. It is an honor to be recognized for my work in environmental education with elementary students."
The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators award was established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act. It 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. The White House Council on Environmental Quality, in partnership with EPA, administers this award.
This year, 11 educators from across the nation received the 2022 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, and two educators were recognized with an honorable mention distinction. Winning educators demonstrated leadership by integrating environmental education into multiple subjects and using topics such as climate change, waste management, water quality, wildlife conservation, STEM education, and school gardens.